yes, it's another new story! :) sometimes I make too many ^-^; but who cares? as long as people enjoy them it doesnt matter!
This story's bout Zack, walking the streets of Midgar close to christmas, when he finds a small boy hiding and shivering in an allyway. Zack decided to take the poor boy in, who is only a minor four years old. (I added close to chrstmas since its christmas day today!)
Enjoy!
~XChapter 1: A Strange VisitorX~
It was lightly snowing in Midgar. The sky was clouded and gray. Colorful lights were strewn across buildings and wrapped in pine trees. The lights of the city. Zack shivered and zipped his jacket up. It was almost christmas time and the streets of Midgar were bustling with people.
So much to do, so much to spend. The holidays were so stressful. But Zack would be looking forward to a quiet evening at home sipping some hot cocoa in front of his fireplace. Just the thought seemed to warm him as he walked on through the bitter cold. Soon, he would be home. He couldn't wait to taste the hot cocoa flooding his mouth and warming his stoamch as the wram drink mixture would steadily pour down his throat.
He rubbed his freezing hands together to try and thaw them out. As he was nearing closer to the market, and as more people seemed to pour in and out of shops. He noticed somthing from an allyway. At first it looked no more than a bag of garbage from its black texturing, but he was wrong when he saw it move and shiver. Zack was curious and inched his way up to the moving thing.
He was almost standing right over it. A glimpse of brown-blonde hair stuck out through the black texturing.
"What is this?" Zack questioned as he ruffled the bag gently.
Whatever was under the texture, shreiked and the visible part of it's hair disapeared. It was muttering nonsence and seemed to be crying. A child? Abandoned on the streets? Zack was wondering these things before curiosity got the better of him. He gently peeled the texture away. His guess was right, whatever was hiding, was hiding under a garbage bag.
There lay a little boy, curled into a tight ball and shivering. Dirt covered every inch of him. His hair was greasy in oils and clumped in knots. His clothing was tattered and torn in multiple places. He had no shoes, only socks. The boy looked up at him. His blue eyes were clouded and dim. If they hadn't been, they would have been a crisp aqua blue. he mumbled nonsence and reached for the garbage bag that Zack forgot he had ahold of.
"What are you doing here little one?" Zack asked, crouching down and balancing on the tips of his feet.
The boy remained silent, but sniffled from the cold.
"Where are your parents?" Zack asked.
They boy turned away and started to cry.
"Hey, hey, hey. It's okay. Just tell me what they look like and I can help you find them." Zack comforted the boy.
He gently rested an index finger under his chin to lift the boy's face up to look at him.
"No mommy...No daddy." The boy sobbed.
He was not one for words, or, he hardly knew how to talk.
"What do you mean?" Zack asked confused.
"Mommy and Daddy go die." He sobbed.
Zack's eyes widened in shock.
"Your parents are dead?" he asked calmly.
The boy shook his head in compliance.
"What about other family members?" Zack asked catching a tear the boy had cried. "They don't want me." He sobbed, now beginning to wail.
His cries interuppted by his hiccups.
"You can't stay out here on the streets." Zack sighed picking up the boy and he held him close to his chest, so the boy would be warmed.
The boy was a bit wary at first, but enjoyed being held and he let the warmth seep into his skin.
"What's your name?" Zack asked putting the trashbag down.
"Cloud." The boy said quietly.
"Cloud huh? What a marvelous name. I'm Zack." he smiled looking into Cloud's eyes. They were starting to brighten and clear.
"I'll look after you." Zack smiled.
Cloud contently sighed and pressed his face against Zack's chest. He could listen to his heart beat through his jacket.
"bump-bump...bump-bump." Cloud mimicked the timing of Zack's steady heartbeats as he walked.
Who would ever disown a sweet little boy such as Cloud? He did nothing wrong and he doesn't deserve to sleep out in the streets. Zack found himself back in his apartment, second floor, room 22o1. He fished out his keys from his jacket pocket and unlocked the door with his free hand. He was using the other to hold and steady Cloud, who was resting on Zack's hip. He swung open the door, and closed it shut with a kick.
It was a one bed, one bath aparrtment. Small kitchen, small dining space, an okay-sized living room, and a balcony from behind the livingroom's doors. Zack set Cloud down on the couch and took his jacket off and hung it up in the closet.
He took a minute to really look at Cloud. he was so filthy. Grime and dirt layed pressed into his skin, his hair, matted, clumped, and tangled and flattened to his face from the oils. It was obvious that Cloud haden't bathed in a month or two. He smelled so bad. But Zack couldn't do anything for Cloud yet. He himself was low on shampoo and body wash. He would need full containers to bathe Cloud in.
And also, he would need to buy Cloud some of his own things, Like his own clothes, blankets, a toothbrush, and since he was about four years old, Zack guesstimated, he would probably like some toys. Cloud spotted a large, gaping hold in his shirt.
"I has hole." He said poking his skin through the hole.
Tomorrow he would go shopping for Cloud. But for today. A warm fire and some cocoa. Zack grabbed some firewood that he kept outside his apartment and brought them inside. He threw the wood into the firepit, and got a fire going with a bit of gasoline and peice of useless paper lit up by a lighter and thrown onto the logs, catching flame and warming the house.
Cloud grew terrified of the fire. He screamed loudly and threw himself behind the couch.
"Cloud, hey, it's okay!" Zack soothed as he pulled him out from behind the couch. Cloud was whining nonsence and pulling away from Zack's caring embrace.
"Look Cloud, it's not going to hurt you, well unless you touch it, but that's beside the point!" Zack tried to explain.
Cloud broke free and threw himself into the couch cushions and mumbled nonsence. Zack chuckled. He would have to coax him to sit by the fire. Cloud looked up at Zack with one teary blue eye. The other was hidden in the couch cushion. Zack plopped himself down infront of the fire.
"Ahh! This sure is a nice, WARM fire." Zack added emphasis on the word warm. Cloud popped his little head up at the word. "wahrm?" Cloud asked getting off the couch and steadily walking next to Zack, before plopping down beside him.
"Warm!" Cloud exclaimed.
"See? Told you it wasn't going to hurt you." Zack smiled.
he hopped up to go make some hot cocoa for him and Cloud to sip on.
"Uhh!" Cloud cried tightly gripping Zack's pantleg.
"What's wrong Cloud?" Zack cooed placing his hand on Cloud's head. His hair was so disgusting.
"No go!" Cloud whined.
Zack chuckled and picked Cloud up.
"Alright then, your coming onto the kitchen with me." Zack smiled.
Cloud wrapped his arms around Zack's neck, out of a sence of security and comfort. Zack was successful in making hot cocoa for himself and Cloud. Right when Cloud got his drink, he immediatly started drinking it. But he started screaming and crying that it burned his tounge.
Several icecubes later, the sun had sunk below the horizon, and the moon shone through the livingroom windows. Cloud rubbed his eyes. He was tired. Zack decided that until Cloud got his bath, he would sleep on the couch. So Zack began to makes Cloud's bed on the couch for him.
"Alright Cloud, there's your bed. Goodnight." Zack smiled before hugging Cloud goodnight.
"Tuck in!" Cloud smiled holding up his arms to be picked up and tucked in.
Zack sighed with a smile on his face. He picked Cloud up and tucked him in. "Goodnight Cloud." he smiled before turning off the light. Zack slept well that night.
~{X}~
Morning arose through the crack in Zack's curtians. He yawned and streached. Since it was the holidays tomorrow, Zack was given today and tomorrow off. When he looked over, there was Cloud, sleeping in his bed.
"How did-?" Zack uttered to himself.
Cloud woke up himself just moments after.
"Goodmorning!" Cloud smiled.
"Cloud, you were supposed to sleep where I told you to." Zack said.
Cloud cocked his head in confusion. Zack just let it slide for tonight. Zack got up and quickly got dressed. He was going to get Cloud some stuff today. Even though shopping would be chaos in this mad season of buying crap all the time. At least he NEEDED the stuff he was buying.
Cloud had to remain in his tathered clothing though. Poor child. He was dirty, and that was very noticable. Zack gathered Cloud into his arms before leaving his apartment and locking the door behind him.
"Where we goin?" Cloud asked, snuggling himself against Zack's chest for warmth. "A store to get you some stuff." Zack said walking down the once again crowded streets.
The two found theirselves inside the large store. Zack got a basket and placed Cloud in it. Cloud fiddled with the little seatbelt thing it had attached before putting it in his mouth to chew on. Zack yanked it from his mouth.
"Cloud! Get that out of your mouth! You do NOT chew on that, you don't know where it's been!" Zack found himself repremanding Cloud in a harsh manner. Cloud became quiet and sat sill. He only fidgeted with his shirt then on.
"Oh, Cloud I'm sorry." Zack said. Cloud still kept quiet. Zack sighed.
They arrived in the cleanleness aile as Zack liked to call it. He picked out some shampoo and body wash for Cloud. also some bath toys since Cloud had been eyeing some. Then, clothing. He let Cloud pick out what he wanted, as long as they had his size and Zack thought it looked good on him. Toothbrush! That was accomplished in five seconds really.
He even bought Cloud some regular toys to play with. And also, a little stuffed chocobo. Cloud really took to it. Next up was blankets. Cloud picked some out with chocobos and moogles on them. Was that it on the list? Zack went over the list he had made in his mind. Medicene! Cloud wouldn't be able to take medicene for teens and over.
Cloud needed a bed of his own, He couldn't share his bed with Cloud every night! He was able to find a comfortable matress with a wooden bedframe, sililar to that of a captains bed, but without the desk at the end. The last thing was books and children movies. Zack's movies were very innapropriate for children, and half of them were horror films. He hoped Cloud wouldn't accedentally stumble into one of those movies.
After everything in list mental list had been checked off, they went home. First things first. Cloud was getting a bath.
Zack set all the stuff down on the couch and scooped Cloud back up in his arms with the bag full of shampoos and such. Zack got the water running and poured some bubbles in. Cloud giggled and swiped at the bubbles.
"Hold on Cloud." Zack said, holding him back from jumping in there with is dirty clothes on.
He made sure it was at a nice warm temperature before turning the water off.
"Alright you, come here." Zack said.
Cloud ran into his arms giggling. Zack began to undress him and he put Cloud into the warm bath. He gave him some of his bath toys so he wouldn't get bored. Zack found this might be a challenge. He had only washed his own hair and body.
Cloud had a toy boat and was pushing it around, before he threw a rubber duck at the boat and made a large explosion noise and splashing water at the little boat. Cloud had quite an active imagination. Just like Zack when he was young. Cloud began to splash the water and bubbles around. Some of the water was spilling onto the bathmat below. And Zack had just now finished getting his hair wet. He hadn't even put shapoo in it yet.
"Cloud, cut it out." Zack warned.
Cloud giggled and splashed Zack.
"I mean it mister, you want to be in serious trouble?" Zack asked firmly.
Cloud stopped splashing and went back to playing. Zack poured some shampoo into the palm of his bare hand and rubbed the shampoo between his hands, making them white and foamy. He proceeded to lather the shampoo through Cloud's hair. Cloud squirmed around and giggled.
"Cloud, stop squirming!" Zack said trying to get Cloud to sit still as he continued to wash his hair.
The bathmat couldn't take it anymore and refused to absorb any more water as it puddled onto the tile.
"Look out! It's a water tornado!" Cloud cried swirling the bathwater around and flinging some of it up into the air, sprinkling both him and Zack in little droplets of bathwater.
"Behave yourself in the bath Cloud." Zack grumbled getting more fresh shampoo in his hands.
He lathered the fresher layer of shampoo into his hair. The first layer turned a grimy brown from all the oils and grease in Cloud's hair. Cloud went cross-eyed watching soap trickle down his forehead and settle on the bridge of his nose.
"Aiyeeeeh!" Cloud cried flailing widly.
"Woah Cloud what's wrong?" Zack asked holding him still.
"My eye!" Was all Cloud was able to cry out before wailing.
He must have gotten soap in his eye. Zack quickly dashed over to the sink, and filled a cup with water before returning to the bathtub with a screaming Cloud furiously rubbing his eye.
"Look up." Zack instructed.
Cloud looked up with his burning eye as Zack splashed water into it and gently rubbed his eyelid while pouring more water down his face. Cloud sputtered out the water that entered his mouth. He sat still and blinked.
"No burn." Cloud said before giving a large smile.
Zack reached up and grabbed the showerhead and turned the water on again, only on shower function. He would rinse Cloud's hair out this way. When the shampoo fled from Cloud's head, his hair had turned from a light greasy brown, to a radiant wheat blonde. The bathwater was already filthy.
Zack got some body soap and began to wash all the dirt and grime from Cloud's dirty flesh, and when that was rinsed off, his skin was a creamy pale color. His eyes radiated brightly, the blue catching the bathroom light.
"Alright, time to get out of the bath." Zack said getting a towel for Cloud.
"Don't wanna!" Cloud said sticking his tounge out while pouting. "I'm still playing." Cloud said going back to his bathtoys and hiding them under the last remaining bubbles.
"You'll get all wrinkly Cloud." Zack laughed.
"C'mon." Zack said lifting Cloud out of the bath and wrapping the towel around his body.
"I wasn't done!" Cloud pouted while fiddling with the towel wrapped around his body.
Zack disapeared to the living room as he fished out some sleepwear for Cloud. Along with undergarments, He wasn't going to make Cloud go commando again like he was when he found him, in only a shirt four sizes too big for him and a dirty worn pair of black socks.
When Zack returned to the bathroom, Cloud was playing with the water in the toilet. He even went and suck his head in the toilet! Zack dropped the clothes and dashed over to Cloud, who was currently engrossed in the toilet.
"Cloud! Get your head out of the toilet!" Zack cried pulling Cloud away from the toilet.
"Curious." Cloud said trying to unwrap the towel from his body.
Zack sighed and grabbed Cloud's clothes off the floor and helped him into them. Cloud insisted he put his shirt on by himself, exept he put it on backwards, so Zack had to turn it around and re-adjust it on Cloud. It was dark by the time Cloud's bath was over.
Zack helped Cloud in brushing his teeth with spearamint flavored toothpaste, in which Cloud wanted to swallow, but Zack forbade it. Zack had set up Cloud's bed after brushing his teeth and changing into his sleepwear. Although when he turned around. Cloud was under the covers in Zack's bed, with his stuffed chocobo plush in his arms as he smiled.
"Cloud, you have to sleep in your bed." Zack said lifting him out of his bed, and placing him in his own.
"But daddy!" Cloud whined.
Zack's eyes slightly widened.
"No Cloud, your a big boy, you can sleep in your own bed." Zack said tucking Cloud in.
He was about to retire to his bed when Cloud whined and kicked the covers off. "Cloud, come on." Zack said tucking him under the covers again.
Cloud whined some more and kicked them off again.
"I wanna sleep with you daddy!" Cloud cried as tears threatened to spill from his eyes. Zack heavily sighed.
"I won't tell you again Cloud. Sleep in your own bed." He sternly said tucking him in one last time.
Cloud didn't kick the covers off this time, but sniffed and help his chocobo plush tightly. Zack kiseed Cloud's head goodnight as he turned off the bedroom light and rested under his own covers.
Cloud was slightly whining, but his whining turned into sobs, and that led to wails and tears. Zack clicked on a lamp light and sighed. Cloud was clutching his chocobo plush tightly and he was laying on his side, curled up into a tight little ball. Zack got up from his bed, walked over and picked Cloud up and let him rest in his bed. Cloud stop crying and smiled.
"But ONLY for tonight." Zack said pointing an index finger at Cloud, making sure he got the message.
Cloud nodded and flopped down as Zack once again tucked him in. Zack layed on his back after turning the light off. Cloud scooted over and leaned against Zack. He grinned and rested his arm around Cloud as he scooted him closer. He nuzzled his face into Zack's chest and pressed himself against his body. Zack's arm was carressing Cloud, making him feel safe and secure as he drifted off to sleep.
"Such a handful." Zack smiled before drifting off himself.