[ Happy belated birthday, lickmysparkstick! ]

"Gods dammit! This is ridiculous!" Cloud snaps shortly after he recovered from his fits of sneezing. Blue eyes widen to see the floor and the counter covered in white powder. He picks up the sad remains of the flour bag.

His plans are foiled now. Cloud wanted to bake Reno a birthday cake before he came home. Tifa offered to make it when he asked for a recipe, but Cloud said not to worry. He could do it, he thought he could do it. Then one bad thing led to another.

A very important delivery couldn't wait and it made Cloud running short on time to make it perfect. Then, the mishap in bringing the flour down from the shelf high above. It fell, Cloud tried to catch it, but it was too late.

The bag explodes and Cloud. It was all over.

"No. This is fine! I'm fine. I'll get this cleaned up and-and I'll get a cake. He won't know the difference." Cloud says quickly. It's too late to buy more flour and start all over. Though it's disappointing. Cloud wanted it to be special. Maybe Reno will be home late? There was no text message. No phone call to indicate that he's on his way back. Perhaps there's a chance!

The blond could only hope…

And that very hope comes to a halt, crashing to hear the door open and close. There's idle whistling while footsteps get louder and louder. Cloud mumbles under his breath, distraught with the turn of events.

"Ifrit's ass…"

Reno stops in his tracks, eyes wide to see the kitchen in a devastating mess from the flour bomb. He looks at Cloud, and there he is, standing there with wide eyes, his face and front of his black top dusty and white, his hands holding the tattered bag.

There's a long moment of silence…Silence.

Then, Reno throws his head back, laughing at the very sight. Tears stream down his face. He couldn't help it, he was laughing so hard. Cloud sets the bag on the counter, his eyes downcast and his cheeks reddening from it all. "W-wha-hahaha! Wh-wha-what the Hell is all this?" Reno gasps between laughter, forcing himself to stop while holding his stomach. It hurt from all the laughing. There's no point in hiding it now. Cloud sighs in defeat.

"I was going to surprise you, with a birthday cake." He answers and Reno grins while wiping the tears from his eyes. "Well, ya sure surprised me, yo." He steps into the kitchen and gather Cloud in his arms. The flour will get all over his suit, but he didn't care. Not in the very least. "Gotta hand it to ya. Ye're full of surprises. That's what I like about you." With that, Reno kisses his partner no the cheek. "It's alright, yo. You do what you can. Ya gave it yer best shot and there was good intentions." Cloud couldn't help but smirk at Reno's words and he returns the embrace. "I never thought I would hear those words come out of your mouth."

"Hey, cut me some slack. I can be sentimental when I wanna be." Reno answers with a wide grin and a wink. Cloud chuckles and this and kisses the redhead on the nose. "Happy birthday, Reno."