The new and improved Mako Mutations is out and ready for reading! I'm not able to back up like I planned, so I have to start it with the mission, but I added more in compensation. Anyways, I'll let you guys have at it! Hope you enjoy it! :)
Ah, just to let you know, this chapter has a bit of everything. When I say that, I mean it's got a nice citrusy lemon in there ;) Yup, in the first chapter.
EDIT 1/21/18: Chapter has been completely revamped, extra scenes and dialogue have been added, and grammatical errors and spelling mistakes have been corrected.
Chapter 1
A mission: it must be an important one if Shin-Ra decided to send more than three full units of infantrymen. Currently, units three, eight, ten, thirteen, and fifteen were all gathered in the large training room on floor forty-eight situated right below the SOLDIER floor. Some commanders were passing out rations for the lower ranked cadets. Among the rations were vials of potions and ethers. There was also extra ammo and some standard cereal bars all packed in to a small sea bag.
No one knew exactly how long this mission would take, but if cereal bars were issued in the rations, it had to be for at least a day or so. Cloud's sky blue eyes scanned the crowd of commanders and grunts. All in all, the combined total of fifty-two people were all stuffed in this room. Even if the training floor was big enough to easily fit them all, they were all huddled up close together much like penguins in an arctic blizzard. While the blond was raring and ready to go, he was also nervous. He had been on a few missions before: some with others, some without, some were scouting missions, and some were detainment.
But now they were being shipped to Mideel, which was a fourteen hour trip. Cloud had yet to take on missions that left the steel walls of Midgar. This was going to be his first assignment on foreign land –and he was so not looking forward to this trip. The commanders had debriefed the travel plans as they passed out the rations; for the first six hours of transportation, they would be driving in military trucks. Once they reached the stretch of ocean splitting this continent from the Mideel continent, they would go by boat for the last eight hours.
The cadet did not like cars, boats or planes or pretty much anything that moved on wheels and was not his own body. He was surprised he could actually keep composure in a train. If only they could just take a train, he'd be okay. Aside from the fourteen hour trip and all the nausea that was to accompany it, there would be one perk about the journey there. He'd be able to share a private room on the boat with a SOLDIER First class. But not just any First class; he'd be sharing it with his mentor and significant other, Zack Fair. The two had been going steady for almost six months now and were as close as could be.
They had met purely by chance some time ago and it was a rather fond memory that always made him crack a grin:
Cloud had been assigned to patrolling LOVELESS plaza down in sector eight that breezy October morning. Missions had been slow and all the urgent ones had already been assigned to more 'promising' candidates. He had soon taken notice of a suspicious looking individual creeping around the plaza. They were cloaked head-to-toe in some suffocating looking garb. Tasked with keeping the streets safe, Cloud followed the individual with silent precision. He may not have been as strong as the other cadets his age, but he was swift and sneaky.
He followed the figure to a comic book store located near the back of the plaza. It wasn't a run-down establishment, in fact, it was quite a well-known store. He watched the shady figure enter the store and he took his place hidden near the door. The cloaked individual was only in there for a few minutes, and they came back out with what appeared to be the latest issue of… a magical girl comic? The figure was still looking very shady and on high alert, so Cloud assumed he must have stolen it for some reason or another.
So he confronted the cloaked figure about it, catching them by surprise, "What's with the suspicious behavior?"
The figure let out a squawk of surprise and was quick to hide the comic behind their back, "What suspicious behavior? A guy can't dress warm around here?"
"I'm not saying you can't dress warmly," Cloud dismissed, "Although I would imagine stealing would cause you to act like you had something to hide."
"Stealing!? I didn't steal anything!" The figure protested.
"That's what they all say. Take off your hood so I can identify you, thief."
"No way! No can do! Absolutely positively not! I didn't steal this and I'm not taking my hood off!"
"Then let's see if taking you to the authorities would make you change your mind?" Cloud suggested with a smirk. Even though only his grin had been visible from the helmet that covered his head, that smirk meant serious business.
"Look, I paid for this! I have the receipt, just let me go and pretend you never saw me, okay?" The figure assured before he reached to dig around in his pockets for it.
Cloud watched him do so, leaning to his right with a hand on his hip. The individual was starting to looked panicked now as he slapped around his large pockets.
"Annnnd I can't recall where I put the receipt…" The figure sighed.
"Mm-hmm, sure. Now are you going to take that hood off the easy way, or should I do it the hard way?" Cloud suggested as he placed his hand over his nightstick.
"Okay, fine! You cadets sure are stubborn!" The figure admonished.
But when the hood was removed, Cloud dropped the authority in his voice and a look of confusion swept over him instead. He had seen this man in Shin-Ra before! He wasn't just any run of the mill worker either! This man was none other than…
"Lieutenant Fair?" Cloud gasped. He couldn't believe it, SOLDIER First class Zack Fair, acting like some kind of lowly thief?
"Sshhh! Not so loud! People will hear you!" Zack shushed.
"What are you doing here? Why are you acting so suspicious, and did you actually steal that comic book? I didn't think you had it in you, Sir." Cloud spoke.
"Okay, fine, look!" Zack groaned before he brought the comic book back into view.
He opened up the first page of it and low and behold, there was the forgotten receipt clear as day tucked away inside. He held it out to Cloud, who was quick to realize it wasn't stolen after all.
"But with all due respect sir, why are you so ashamed about buying a comic book?" Cloud asked as he took his own helmet off. He wanted to get a better look at the book.
"Because it's the latest edition of 'Magic Malady', which just so happens to be a magical girl series more suited for teenage girls and not First class SOLDIERs!" Zack admitted with a hot blush.
"Oh. Well…that is a little surprising." Cloud responded as he too blushed.
He knew of the series. Oh, did he know. He actually read it too. It was really good but it was stigmatized as being a 'girl only' kind of thing, so he kept his enjoyment of the series to himself. It appears that the First Class did the same. Suddenly, there were hands gripping his shoulders and Zack's face was very close to his all of a sudden.
"You can't tell anyone you saw me here! I'll be made a laughing stock if word gets out!"
"Well, I-"
"Promise me you won't tell anyone! It's embarrassing…" Zack pleaded, having to glance away when the blush on his face deepened considerably.
"A-Alright, I promise: But on one condition." Cloud bargained.
"What is it?"
"…You have to tell me what happens next. I…kinda like it too." He admitted.
And after that chance encounter, the two bonded over their liking about a magical girl series and kept each other up to date on it for a while. It got to the point that whenever the next volume came out, one of them would buy it, then they would meet up somewhere and read it together –where no one else would notice it was them, of course. Through that series, they formed a friendship, and after getting to know one a little better, Zack decided to become Cloud's personal teacher to help him get into the SOLDIER program. It wasn't long after that when they realized they started to like each other and began courting one another.
"Alright ladies, listen up! It's briefing time!" A higher-up shouted over the ruckus of the unit.
All eyes were upon the commander in his red muffler. He stood near the front of the doors where the groups would soon be exiting to board the vehicles parked in front of Shin-Ra. The whole room fell into silence and all eyes were on him. Cloud pulled himself out of his revere and listened intently.
"You all must be thinking that this is a pretty dangerous mission to be sending five whole units to Mideel. Well, you're absolutely right; This is a very dangerous mission. Be careless and you could die, slack off and you could be seriously injured, choose not to care, and you'll regret it later." The commander spoke, beginning to pace as he continued to briefing.
He paused for a moment, eyes scanning over the crowd of half a hundred standing before him, "You all are assisting four First Classes in the retrieval of an item extreme importance. What it is, I don't even know, but be on your guard; the Mideel forest is known to house powerful and terrifying beasts." The commander informed.
Cloud continued to listen to every word the commander said. He needed to do well on this mission; it was his first major mission after all. Major missions served as good evaluation for SOLDIER recruiting. If he did well enough here, it would help him out in the long run. Not only that, but he needed to prove to Zack that he had been properly trained these past few months. The First Class had been talking about seeing him in action ever since they heard about the mission. He couldn't let Zack down, not with those eyes of his. He wouldn't let Zack down. He was going to do his absolute best.
He had a dream to achieve.
"Squad thirteen, you leave first, the other units will follow behind when you are safely boarded on the trucks." The commander spoke up from the chatter of the other units. He moved out of the way of the door and allowed the twelve people in said unit to leave the room.
Cloud was one of the last ones to leave the large room and he followed behind his fellow comrades at an even stride. He made sure he had his bag containing his rations and extra clothes strapped securely to his back. It was going to be a long ride to get there.
There was a soft murmur of voices from in front of the blond, most of them were hyped for this dangerous mission. Cloud swallowed a thick lump in his throat that he swear wasn't there before. He was starting to get nervous even though they wouldn't arrive in Mideel for at least another fourteen hours. Butterflies rose to flutter around in the blond's stomach and they swarmed in his throat, making it even harder to swallow. He needed to keep it together. He willed himself to swallow those butterflies, but all that did was make his stomach seem more clustered and nauseated.
"Yo Azure-Eyes, you okay?" A voice spoke up, appearing right beside Cloud on his left side. The blond turned his head in that direction; he knew who the voice belonged too.
A small nervous smile crept onto his face, "Yeah, Shae, I'm alright. Just a little nervous is all." He responded.
Those butterflies were quick to invade his mouth and make it feel tingly. He forced himself to swallow beyond the lump. He felt ready to puke and he did not like that one bit. He still had to deal with rickety-ass trucks.
The young teen striding next to Cloud was known as Shaedon Lancastor, but he preferred to be called 'Shae'. The trooper of equal rank was about an inch shorter than the blond himself, not to mention a year younger. While Cloud was seventeen, Shae was sixteen. He had silver eyes tinted ice blue around his pupil. His hair was blond at the roots, but he had black tips and black highlights evenly blended and mixed in. His most outstanding feature was his smile.
His teeth looked too big and jagged to be considered human. If he wasn't happy-go-lucky and bubbly like he was, his creepy smile would be increased for sure. He always told people he was half behemoth as a joke. But the way his eyes narrowed when he said it just made Cloud feel uneasy. He had a standard issue sea bag with him just like the blond, but his seemed to be fuller. Probably because the younger teen always carried huge handfuls of junk food and candy with him at all times.
"You look like you're going to puke, Azure-Eyes." Shae spoke up, his eerie grin making a cameo appearance. The younger teen often called Cloud by 'Azure-Eyes', rather than his name. The older blond never minded it and actually liked the little nickname.
"I certainly hope not..." Cloud grumbled, wanting to just punch himself in the gut hard enough that he'd kill those asshole butterflies.
But it wasn't too much longer until the small group found themselves outside the Shin-Ra building. Morning was beginning to creep over the horizon as a big red ball to set the morning sky ablaze. The sky was composed of very bright colors: purples, pinks, oranges, and yellows streaked across the bleak canvas to paint it in a breathtaking array. The air was crisp and fresh, yet tinted in the slightest glaze of Mako. Green substances shooting up from each numbered reactor cast a sickly glow as the pale green ascended into the sky to join the mix of morning hues.
Cloud could see the large trucks parked just a bit further down the stretch of concrete that served as a small walkway. His unit was the first to gather inside, so they'd be able to sit in the seats rather than just pile up in the aisles and sit on the floor. The blond picked one closest to the open back of the large truck. This way if he needed to expel his breakfast, he could do so.
Shae had sat down beside him and gave him a friendly pat on the back, telling him to think about something that wasn't nausea related, like kittens or creamy yogurt. At the words 'creamy yogurt', Cloud thought he'd lose his breakfast right then and there. The thought of food never helped and always made it worse. After that, Shaedon decided to keep his mouth shut to avoid upsetting his friend's stomach even more.
Once the other units were all situated in each truck, they were ready to get going. Some commanders stayed behind and just decided to tap the side of the truck to signal that they could start moving. The motors started up with sputters and grunts, but soon accelerated smoothly and let the vehicle pick up a steady speed. As soon as the vehicle hit that first bump, Cloud knew this was not going to be a very fun journey...
By the time the trucks had arrived at a small port town near the beach, The time was twelve o' clock. The vehicles had ran an hour late. Not to mention Cloud had successfully regurgitated everything he had managed to hold down that morning about four times. To say the least, he felt like absolute shit.
As soon as the trucks slowed to a stop, the blond threw himself from its steely clutches and practically embraced the solid, unmoving ground below him. Shaedon did the same, even though he suffered no motion sickness. The other cadets stepping out of the truck gave them a few weird or confused looks, but otherwise left them alone.
Cloud gave himself enough time to catch his breath and gather his senses, seeing as how the SOLDIERs going on this mission had yet to arrive. Once his stomach finally stopped churning, Cloud partook a bit of small chat with Shae and a bit of stretching from that cramped car ride. They only had to wait about fifteen minutes until the transport bringing in the SOLDIERs arrived. They drove in a unified line only to split apart when getting close enough to the docks.
The first one to emerge from a vehicle was none other than General Sephiroth. Unlike the rest of the SOLDIERs, or others for that matter, the silverette did not have a sea bag with him for the long journey ahead. He wasted no time in making for the docks, giving Cloud a passing glance and a quick, tight smile. It could have been seen as rather cold, but the blond had learned how to read those tight expressions, at least a few of them.
Most of the troopers, Cloud included, had felt intimidated by his presence alone. Even though the young blond had spoken with the silver-haired General a good number of times by this point, he was still a bit nervous around the older silver-haired man. The next to arrive were a few Second classes that the blond did not know very well, but he paid his respects when they passed by.
Although when Kunsel -one of Zack's friends, passed by, Cloud was much more friendly and carried a quick chat. But the Second Class was quick to depart with a wave and a smile. Most of the troopers and commanders had already gone to board the large ship that would take them to Mideel. More than likely to get a little settled before departing.
Cloud decided to stay out and wait for Zack, that way they could walk to the boat together. Plus, he was still taking in as much land time as he could before he could be thrust back into another moving thing again. It's not like the boat was some sort of shoddy fishing vessel, it was rather nice in fact. It was almost like a cruise ship for the long voyage ahead –aside from the fact that there had to be about five cadets in one room. It was nice, but it wasn't huge. Cloud was lucky he was sharing a room with a SOLDIER, those elite members got rooms to themselves –unless they decided to share that is.
It didn't take too much longer for the last of the SOLDIERs to arrive. Angeal and Zack appeared at the same time, talking and laughing with one another. Well, the younger First Class was the one doing the laughing. Each of them had their own bag prepped for the journey, but seemed to appear not as full as the cadets. Zack's bag was stuffed a bit thicker than Angeal's, who looked to take only the minimal. Perhaps they didn't need as much since they were the best of the best.
A smile wiggled its way onto Cloud's face at the sight of the SOLDIER. Somehow, even after the near half-year they had been together, just seeing the older teen made the little blond smile for no reason.
Cloud saw the two First classes waving and parting ways for now. Angeal walked ahead, giving a silent nod at Cloud as he passed, a small smile on his face. The blond returned the nod, knowing if he saluted, the older man would be quick to dismiss it and tell him that it wasn't required.
Zack came to greet him in a half-jog, half-powerwalk kind of stride, giving him a soft and carefree smile. In the past three days the blond had gone without seeing the vivacious young adult, he looked to be doing fine. His scent was tinted slightly of cinnamon and sandalwood, more than likely signaling he had enough time to take a shower before departing from Shin-Ra.
"Hey there, Chocobo." Zack sweetly greeted, following up with a quick kiss on the blond's head.
"H-Hey, there are still people out here..." Cloud muttered, looking left and right as a feverish blush overcame his face. They may have been courting and it wasn't a secret, but the display of affection in front of others always made him nervous.
"Oh, let 'em look." Zack spoke softly, nearly whispering to where Cloud, and only Cloud, could hear.
He could feel warmth by his ear, which was soon followed by a sensual little chuckle before a hand stroked his cheek and hooked a piece of his hair behind his ear. It made him shiver as if he was cold. But it was a delightful kind of tingle.
"That's not fair…" Cloud mumbled, very aware that Zack knew exactly just what buttons to press to rile him up in all the right ways.
"All's fair in love and war." Zack playfully said, gripping his chin in his right hand as he gave him a mischievous little grin. Oh that look, it always caused his knees to buckle and his breath to hitch in his chest.
Zack dropped the cadet's chin and instead just held his hand, gently pulling on it to lead the way to the docks. Cloud followed beside him at an even pace, still blushing from being in plain sight and holding hands. The early noon air began to get a little warmer the higher the sun rose into the beautiful blue sky.
The fishing town known as Tradeport was small, very hard to see on the world map. Most of the shops and houses were located right by the great big docks the city housed. It wasn't very big in terms of shipment compared to Junon, but the people got by on what they could. Their boat would be leaving from here.
The two strode up towards the docks where the large ship was waiting. Just seeing the vessel made Cloud's stomach begin to churn again. Those butterflies he thought he threw up already spawned straight out of his gut to clog up his throat again. As the two approached, the larger the boat got, which only made his vision sway. He stopped walking abruptly when the nausea threatened to spill out of his mouth again, which caused the man leading him to be pulled back slightly. He instantly stopped trying to move and glanced behind him to see what was amiss.
"Hey, what's up, Buttercup?" Zack asked, turning on his heel to look at him.
Cloud quickly averted his gaze to the right, trying to avoid eye contact. He could already feel the nausea creeping up to his throat again. Accursed butterflies! He knew as soon as that ship started moving, he'd start hurling. But he had nothing left to expel, his breakfast was already long gone; his stomach argued and churned, stating otherwise.
"Talk to me, Cloud. Otherwise I won't know what's goin' on." Zack coaxed, hoping to get him to talk.
"I just…don't wanna go…" Cloud admitted as he kept his eyes glued to the ground below his feet, "…I'm going to get sick again."
Front in front of him, he heard Zack sigh, "Cloud…" He spoke softly.
Cloud took a step back out of reflex. He knew what that soft and slightly strained tone of voice meant. Just the way his own name rolled off his tongue had him clued in: Zack's way or the Highway. He knew he'd have to get on the ship, but he just couldn't stomach the thought or the nausea the ride would only bring back.
"C'mon babe, either way we have to go." Zack reminded, "So do you want to do this your way or my way? No way isn't an option either." He said. It sounded a bit harsh, but deep down, he really didn't like to see his sunshine so upset. The sooner they got this over, the better.
Cloud opted for silence as he kept his head trained down and slightly to the right. His free hand kept flexing from a fist to stretch out and back, a small quirk he had when he was nervous. Zack exhaled through his nose before he sucked that breath back in through his mouth.
"Got it; my way it is." He announced.
It was all the time Cloud was given before he was swept off his feet and into the arms of his significant other. A bright rubicund blush flourished across his face hotter than desert heat. People were still boarding the boat and some of them were staring or grinning as they passed by. Those eyes made Cloud close his own and tuck his face away into the shoulder of his SOLDIER, the action earning him some deep chuckles.
He kept his eyes closed as Zack walked him towards the ship. He was just going to keep his eyes closed forever. Or, at least until this horrible boat ride was over, whichever came first. He hadn't even boarded the ship yet and he already wanted off. His stomach started to growl, making it known to whomever heard that he was going to be sick.
"Don't worry, you'll be alright." Zack assured as he placed a small kiss to the top of his head.
"I'll be alright when I'm dead." Cloud huffed. He still kept his head buried in the First Class's shoulder and he was not moving it away anytime soon.
"Oh, stop being so overdramatic, Sunshine." Zack playfully chided.
Even though Cloud's eyes were closed, he could instantly tell the moment they stepped foot onto the boat. The sound of the wood creaking under their weight alone had his stomach growl loudly again. His hands gripped the turtleneck sweater in front of him and he clung tight. He wished he had grabbed a bit more than that so he could let Zack know just how much he hated, and was going to hate this, but his hair wasn't long enough for that.
After a few more minutes of walking and navigating, the two arrived outside their room. Cloud finally gathered enough courage to raise his head up and open his eyes. He was staring into the unmoving form of a wooden door. At least that was solid and stationary for the time being.
"Do you mind getting the door?" Zack asked. He would have gotten it himself if his arms weren't full of cadet.
Cloud rolled his eyes before he reached out and opened the door to their room. It swung open without much fuss and allowed them to enter. Zack stepped further inside and was able to shut the door behind him with a swift kick. As soon as they were in the room, he decided to finally let his ray of sunshine down.
"Well, this doesn't look too bad, huh, Spike?" Zack gestured.
Cloud took notice of a full-sized bed situated in the middle of the room decorated in silken sheets of cobalt blue. It was centered right below a single large bay window, complete with blue velvet curtains draping on either side of the warm glass. For one person the bed was big, but for two, it would be a little bit of a tight fit.
Across the bed on the right side was a bathroom that would most likely be explored when the time came. The walls were colored in a comforting pale tan color while the floor below them was coated in cheap green carpet. Some colors contrasted again the other, but it was still a rather soothing looking room nonetheless.
Cloud went to take a step forward to see what the inside of the bathroom, but the boat swayed from a wave lapping against it, which in turn caused him to grow extremely queasy and he stumbled back a bit. He backed up right into Zack, who made a surprised noise before it turned into something more concerned.
"Hey, are you okay, Cloud?" Zack asked gently as his hands placed themselves onto his shoulders to help anchor him.
"I…need to sit down." Cloud pressed. The churning in his stomach was coming back and if he didn't ground himself soon, he was going to be repeating what happened on the drive here.
"Alright, let's get you to the bed." Zack directed.
He nodded and took slow steps across the floor to reach the stationary furniture. He was grateful that the First didn't try and pick him up again –that would just make things worse at this point. But he stayed close and was quick to stable him out if he stumbled or swayed. It didn't take long before the two made it to the bed and sat themselves down on it.
"How are you feeling right now?" Zack asked tenderly, his face frowning in concern for a moment, "You look so pale."
"My nausea's really fighting me on this one." Cloud responded with a tight grin.
"Do you feel like you're going to throw up?"
"Probably…"
"Alright, I'm going to fetch the trash can from the bathroom, just in case you feel like you can't make it there." Zack informed.
"Uh-huh..." Cloud grunted, nodding his head as he dug his arms into his gut to keep it from churning and growling so loudly.
Before heading towards the bathroom, Zack took his and Cloud's bags and placed them by the foot of the bed. He then stood up from the bed and walked over to the bathroom just a few feet away. When he entered, he spotted the trash can sitting idly in a corner by the bathtub. He picked it up and brought it back out to the main room. Upon making it back over to the bed, he gingerly sat the metal bin right beside it, and then carefully sat himself down on the bed.
Cloud's stomach flipped, the distressed organ making a diluted squelch as it did. He let out a groan containing a mix of annoyance and discomfort before he leaned his head against Zack's, hoping to seek some comfort or stability in his own nauseated way. He was scooted closer to his boyfriend with strong yet gentle arms and deposited into his lap.
The ship's horn began to sound and it wasn't long after that when the mighty vessel slowly began to move. Cloud's stomach moved with it and he quickly went to slap his hand over his mouth, a knee-jerk reaction he had learned through repetition and force of habit. His butterflies became like violent bees, stabbing and swarming instead of fluttering and growing. They tore through his gut and his throat, making his cheeks tingle and his mouth water. He hated this so much.
He would have voiced his complaints if he had enough willpower to pull his hand away from his mouth, but right now that was the only thing that felt like it was keeping him from spilling over. Even though there was nothing left to expel, his stomach yelled otherwise. He scrunched his eyes shut tight and further pressed his back into Zack's chest, using the lack of vision and the force against him as a steadying anchor.
He wanted to move and rock the least amount as humanly possible for the next eight hours. Steadying himself like this wasn't a one-hundred percent guarantee, but it was better than nothing.
The large carrier ship picked up a little more speed and had soon pulled out of the docks themselves. The little waves from the shallow ocean began to lap at the front of the ship eagerly as if they were pecking little birds awaiting the spoils of their mothers' tasty earnings. The tiniest rocking movements began which gently rocked the ship in a lulling motion, but to some, only made things drastically worse.
"Hey, Zack…" Cloud began as he finally dared to open his eyes. His voice was muffled through his gloved hand.
"What's up?" Zack asked, leaning in slightly to maintain eye contact.
"Do me a favor…?"
"Like what?"
"I just want you to like, reach up…" Cloud motioned, pulling his hand away from his mouth to demonstrate his request with his own hands, "-And wrap your arms around my neck and just strangle me until I pass out."
"Um, I'd rather not do that." Zack laughed, "You got any other ideas that don't involve me strangling you?"
"You could take the Buster sword and gut me like a fish…I'd be okay with that too."
Zack seemed to grimace, but he kept an amused grin on his face, "That's a bit too morbid for my tastes, Spike. Can't do that either."
"Then…maybe you could-"
"How about I just keep holding you like this?" Zack suggested as he slightly tightened his arms around him.
Cloud leaned his head back against his boyfriend's shoulder, a tight smirk tugging at the corners of his lips, "Now what good would that do me? That won't get rid of my nausea."
The butterflies-turned-bees seemed to buzz around angrily now that he wasn't concentrating so hard on keeping still and not letting the rocking boat get to him. It didn't get rid of his sass, but it was enough to make his body tense and clench.
"I know it'll be hard to do, but try not to think about it. Find something to distract you from the nausea." Zack advised.
"'Try not to think about it', he says." Cloud mocked, rolling his eyes as he did so.
In return, Zack nipped at the lobe of his ear, causing him to yelp quietly from the quick bite. A deep chuckle rose from behind him, his boyfriend using that little sensual tone of his. It made Cloud squirm in place a bit, his stomach tightening with a different kind of sensation instead of sickness.
"Are you mocking me, Strife?" Zack admonished. His voice sounded surprised, but it was still heavily tinted in that dark tone of his.
"And if I am, Sir?" Cloud asked back with more of a steady voice.
He felt hot breath ghost under his ear and it made him shiver. Those hands that once caressed him now gripped around him a little firmer, digits careening into the crevasse of his hips.
"Hmm...Forgetting your rank, are you? Well, there are ways of reminding you otherwise." Zack smiled avariciously.
That warm face burrowed into Cloud's neck, pushing right past the muffler that adorned and concealed it. Soft lips connected with his skin, softly kissing in a slow and passionate manner. He squirmed in place again, his head tilting to the left unintentionally, wanting to feel more of that sweet touch against his warming skin. His involuntary action earned him the appropriate reaction and there was more soft heat against his neck.
Cloud felt hands trace the slight valleys of his hips, his body moving into the touch while his brain became a fogged slave to the desire. An uncomfortable yet tolerable heat swept over his lithe frame and it made his gut start making pleasant knots. The kisses to his neck became a little firmer, a little faster; like a hummingbird taking nectar from a hesitant flower bit by bit.
The delicious heat spread, leaving his head cool but warming his groin. Those tantalizing touches that danced across his hips made him writhe now, he wanted so much more than what he was being given. He felt one of those hands emerge from the valley and trail across to his inner thigh, where that part of the body was massaged.
A delightful little moan escaped from Cloud's mouth as he felt the beginning of arousal sweep over him like a summer storm. His pants began to feel too tight and he wanted them off. He writhed in place a little, as if to coax that massaging hand over towards a more pressing matter.
"Good to know my refresher course is jogging your memory, Strife." Zack smiled as he stopped kissing his neck for a moment.
Cloud felt that other hand move away from his hip to rub his other thigh, both skillful hands now working in tandem to further harden him. It didn't take long for him to do just that and he felt the full force of an erection against his pants. He let out another little moan of delight and his pleasure-driven brain made his body part his legs a little.
That alone was enough to make his boyfriend hard too, for he soon felt that arousal press against his rear and there was a deep, guttural groan from beside him. That growl of a moan made him shiver and his erection stiffen further. He wanted that intoxicating pleasure and he wanted it now. He took one of the hands on his thighs and forced it onto his erection, giving that hand a squeeze to make it work him the way he wanted.
"Feisty..." Zack hummed charmingly.
Cloud was displeased when Zack took his hand away and was about to make a snide comment, but he was quick to bite it back when he felt his pants being undone. He wriggled with anticipation, as if to assist his lover in helping him out of his pants. That same denude hand slipped in through the undone gap, pulling those navy blue pants down a bit, exposing the small curve to his hips and those thin lines above his groin.
Those pants and his undergarments were pulled down just enough to free his erection from the materialistic confines in which they were held. That hand soon trailed back to the nude flesh he bore and those fingers worked across the sensitive and swelling area. Cloud bit his bottom lip and arched his hips into that warm hand, soaking in and drinking up all that intoxicating contact. It was blissful, it was hot; it was messy and left his stomach in pleasured knots.
His breaths had become quicker and heavier while sweat began to form on his brow. Another hand was added to the desirable equation to work him hard. Pleasure seemed to erupt throughout the room in those brief moments of contact; any thinking at all had been washed away from the wave of want.
It seemed as though Zack could no longer hold himself back. Cloud could feel that throbbing pulse on his rear grow thicker and harder and it wasn't long until those hands stopped working him for a moment. They were only gone long enough for the last pair of pants to be undone, gone long enough to have him be guided away from the edge of the bed, to twist him around and lay him down against the sheets. Gone long enough to have his pants pulled down to his ankles, to be positioned in just the right way, backside slightly elevated: ripe for the picking.
He felt exposed, he felt nervous, but he felt the demanding need to have his other half meld with him. Zack hunkered down, pressing a kiss to Cloud's lips to distract him before he pushed his erection into his backside. He moaned into that mouth above his, feeling full and whole with his boyfriend moving within him like a fluid river.
His hands fisted the sheets beneath him, his back arched off the bed a bit and it felt so right and so good that his toes curled. Through each movement, thrust or pause, endless kisses were placed all over his face and neck and he enjoyably drowned in them. Every second and every minute spent like this was like drinking from the Holy Grail or dipping into the devil's lake. It was lucid, clairvoyant, something whole, and true. It was bliss.
Time seemed to crawl slower the longer the moment lasted, and for a moment Cloud never wanted it to stop. But he could tell that Zack was close to the edge, for he felt that erection swell thick within. So they rode out those last moments like some glorious high; their whole bodies twisting, writhing, and tightening as it prepped for release. The rush of release came out haphazard at first, but ended in steady bliss, filling him with a part of his lover.
Finishing what had been started; his own erection was taken into a warm mouth and gently teased. Cloud was back to writhing and moaning, his fists clenching the sheets tightly enough to turn his knuckles white. The heat, the moisture, the sounds of being taken drove him over the edge and he felt pre-release billowing and close to spilling. He was teasingly worked and siphoned until he sputtered out his own release with a sharp gasp and a wondrous moan; the older man drinking him like he had been a sweet drink.
Heavy breaths scraped the air around them, Cloud almost found it hard to swallow. Zack remained poised above him, but with a devil-may-care grin spreading across his flushed face.
"So...Are you still motion sick?" Zack asked with breaths laced with slight fatigue.
"…What motion sickness?" Cloud responded with a smirk.
It didn't bother him now that he had worked most of that out through physical contact –although now he felt rather sticky and sweaty. Almost as if his thoughts were read and pulled straight out of his head, his boyfriend spoke up,
"How does a hot shower sound?" Zack asked as he finally pulled away from him.
"Yes." Cloud simply agreed.
He pushed himself into a sitting position, or at least attempted to do so. His muscles screamed at him to not move so abruptly after the intense session of contact, so he just ended up performing a lazy looking crunch before he flopped back against the mattress.
He heard Zack laugh in an endearing manner from beside him, "Okay Sunshine, let me help you."
"I can-" Cloud grunted, "Sit up-", falling over, "On my own-" fell to his back again, "-Just fine!", his abdomen cried out for rest and did not let him sit up on his own after all.
"Mm-hmm, sure you can." Zack smirked.
He was helped up anyways, despite his protests. His aching muscles appreciated the help even if his brain did not. His systems were back online after being driven to a euphoric auto-piolet. He watched as Zack dug through his own bag to find a spare change of clothes, and he even went through his to do the same for him. It was a gesture that didn't go unappreciated and was met with a small smile.
Cloud could at least stand up from the bed on his own. It's not like it used an insane amount of abdominal muscles to do so. Zack lead the way to the bathroom across the spacious room and he followed his boyfriend. Although, he did slow when he felt that earlier warmth in his backside become cooler. As a little gross as it was to have that come back out, he also didn't like the empty feeling it left behind: it felt like he wasn't one with his other half when that warmth went away.
But regardless, he followed Zack into the bathroom anyways. It's not like he was going anywhere anytime soon. A cold chill shot through his body after that thought and he didn't know why. The bathroom light was flicked on, the incandescent bulbs lighting up the smaller room.
It was decorated just as nice as the room they came from. The shower was a light tan color and the wall behind it was decorated with smooth cobblestones. A curtain to keep the water from spilling out and a curtain for decoration hung in front of the basin. Even the sink and the toilet looked better than what he was given back at Shin-Ra. He could get used to this.
Cloud watched as Zack set the change of clothes down onto the closed lid of the toilet seat, then reached across the bathtub and began to crank the faucet on the left a few times in a clockwise direction. A hand went to hide his laughter when he realized the water came out of the showerhead instead of the faucet, raining down the back of the First Class standing before him.
A cry of surprise erupted from Zack when the cold water connected with his hair and skin. Cloud laughed when he staggered back a few steps and shook the water out of his hair and off his skin like a soaked dog.
"Hey, you be quiet, Chocobo!" Zack playfully shot. He pretended to have an annoyed look on his face, but his smile told him that he was amused too.
"You really are a puppy, aren't you?" Cloud laughed loudly, unable to contain himself.
Although, he wasn't the one laughing when he felt a large amount of water splash across his face. When he opened his eyes and looked ahead of him, Zack had a victorious look on his face and his hands were wet.
"Not so funny now, huh, Spike?" He mused.
A frown formed over Cloud's face before he marched up to his boyfriend and without thinking twice about it, he pushed him into the bathtub clothes and all. He watched him stumble and fall back against the wall, becoming soaked within a matter of seconds. When shocked eyes locked with his, he smiled and placed his hands on his hips.
"Not so funny now, huh, Spike?" He sassed back.
"…Two can play at that game." Zack challenged, his eyes growing determined.
Before Cloud had time to think, he was quickly pulled into the shower too. He was wrapped up in a tight hug right underneath the spray of cold water. He shouted at Zack, calling him an asshole as he tried to break away from his strong hold. But he was held there tightly and his other half was laughing in victory. To shut him up, Cloud just tipped his head back and kissed the older man gently.
"…I'll take that as a sign of surrender." Zack smiled before he kissed him back and finally let him go.
Cloud quickly hopped out of the shower to escape the cold, whereas the SOLDIER adjusted the knobs above the faucet to make the water warm. He removed his sopping wet clothes, wringing them out over the sink before tossing them over a towel rack to let them air dry.
"Hey, give me your clothes so I can wring them out and get them dried off." Cloud stated as he held his right hand behind him.
There were no words spoken, but the sounds of Zack shuffling out of the rest of his clothes were heard. Not long after, the sopping wet articles were placed in his waiting hand. The young cadet wrung the clothes out over the sink, repeating the same process he did with his own down to the last detail. When the deed was done, he spun on his heel and jumped into the shower too, closing one of the curtains to keep the floor from getting further wet.
They stood underneath the warm spray for a moment, before getting into a small fight about who got to stand underneath the warm water and who got to get lukewarm splash-back. There was soap flinging, tears from shampoo getting in the eyes, a few kisses, purposely dropping a soap bar with a well-timed eyebrow waggle, as well as a bit of cuddling under warm water. But soon they were both cursing when they used up all the hot water and soon it became a fight to get out of the shower first –or who would get to use the fluffier towel after that.
The two dried off without much of a fuss after that. Taking their time wringing their hair out or wiping excess water from their faces. While Cloud bent over to grab his clothes off the lid of the toilet, Zack took great pleasure in smacking his ass before he had enough time to stand up fully. After a surprised yelp came out of his mouth, he shot the older man a dirty look.
"What?" Zack asked, "You can't just present yourself like that and not expect me to do something about it!"
"Present myself? I was grabbing my clothes, you dolt!" Cloud insulted. He rolled up his shirt like a towel before he whipped the older man with it.
"Ow! That was my arm you smacked!" Zack pointed out. His free hand covered the area that had been snapped at as he shot a wounded look at him.
"Next time I'll aim for your mouth." Cloud threatened before he finally put his oversized blue shirt on.
"You wouldn't!" Zack countered with a horrified look on his face.
Cloud smiled as he took his clean pair of boxers and rolled them up like a towel too. Zack quickly held his hands up in surrender. He nodded in satisfaction before he slipped the undergarments on and adjusted them properly. He didn't much feel like putting anything else on and called it good there –his shirt went past his rear anyway. Plus, knowing his boyfriend like he did, he would just state that he didn't need to put any pants or shorts on; the less clothes he had on, the better, he always stated.
It didn't take long for Zack to change either, the older man just putting on boxers and sweatpants, nothing more. The towels they used were hung up next to their drying uniforms and they left the bathroom shortly after, turning the light off before they exited. Zack went right back to the bed and flopped down on it with a lofty sigh, smothering his face into one of the pillows for a moment. Cloud just rolled his eyes with a smirk.
Zack rolled over on his side, freeing up some space on the bed. Mako blue eyes glanced over to look at him and an endearing look crossed his face.
"You know… for a long time my greatest and only dream ever was to become a First Class. I never thought I could want anything more than that." He stated. Zack sat up after he said that, keeping eye contact with him and still giving him that endearing and gentle look on his face.
"So you've told me." Cloud reminded with a smile, a blush painting his cheeks from how he was being gazed at.
"It was great for a while; the fame, the publicity, the missions…But one day, I felt so empty even with all of that." Zack continued, breaking his gaze away for a moment.
A confused look crossed over Cloud's face. He didn't know there was more to this story. Usually, his boyfriend would just talk about achieving his dream of becoming SOLDIER and be done with it. Was it even possible for someone to feel empty after becoming a First Class? He didn't think it possible; it was his greatest dream too.
"I thought maybe it was just a one-time fluke of a feeling, but it stayed with me day after day. It never left. I had everything I wanted, but it still didn't feel like enough. It felt like something was missing…" Zack continued.
His eyes stopped glancing in other directions before they locked with Cloud's own, "…Then I met you."
A feverish blush swept over the cadet's face at that remark and he had to quickly look away to hide it. He heard the sound of bed springs squeaking with relief, as if weight was being removed from them. There was the sound of shuffling and he still continued to glance away. It wasn't until hands cupped his cheeks and gently pivoted his face that he was looking right back in front of him again. Zack held his face in his hands with the most sincere smile he had ever seen plastered across his face, and his eyes appeared to sparkle.
"The day you caught me buying a copy of 'Magic Malady' is a day I won't ever forget: Because it was then I knew why I felt so empty."
Cloud really wanted to tear his face away just to hide the blush that he knew was burning a bright red across his face, but those careful, calloused hands kept him from doing just that. So instead, he just swallowed thickly. He felt those bare thumbs gently rub his cheeks and it made his gut clench.
"I didn't have anyone to share my accomplishments, my dreams, with. But then we bonded over a mutual love for a magical girl series and I saw that same spark of passion in your eyes that I once had in mine." Zack resumed. "Once I got to know you, really know you, I realized that I had more than one dream."
Cloud broke eye contact with his boyfriend, opting to glance to the side as he swallowed again. Those thumbs kept rubbing his cheeks which only served to make his face stay so red. He hated it when he blushed this fiercely for so long. Yet at the same time he was awestruck from the words that were being spoken to him. He knew the First class had a gentle side, but he didn't know it ran so deeply.
"…You became my new dream, Cloud." Zack stated before he placed a gentle kiss to his young love's forehead. "You made me complete." He spoke, whispering those words into his blond spikes.
"Stop being such a sap…" The young cadet weakly insulted, most of his voice just a murmur.
"Seriously though," The First Class admitted, still keeping his face buried in that sunshine colored hair, "I don't know what I'd do without you."
"Probably wither away and die or something, I don't know." Cloud suggested, trying to clear the blush away from his face.
"Hmm, maybe." Zack spoke with a grin as he finally pulled away from the shorter man. He spun on his heel and walked back to the bed, "Well, there's still quite a bit of time before we reach Mideel." He pointed out as he flopped himself down on the mattress like earlier.
"Ugh, don't remind me." Cloud groaned, hoping that reminder wouldn't be enough to have his motion sickness come back. At least his blush was gone now.
"Hey, I have an idea!" The raven-haired man announced, only continuing when he saw the little cadet glance his way, "Come take a nap with me." He chirped as he patted the empty space next to him.
Well, it's not like there was anything else he could do. With that in mind, Cloud gave the older man a quirky half-smirk before he shuffled his way over to the full-sized bed. For once, he was kinda glad he wasn't that big –because that meant he could actually fit in the bed with the taller man. Zack held up his arm as he laid on his side, and as soon as that little ray of sunshine was next to him he curled up to him and snuggled him like he was a large teddy bear. The younger man had to stave off another blush, but he did smile faintly. He really did enjoy being close to that big old puppy of his.
The warmth that radiated from the two seemed to serve as a kind of blanket, for a comforting heat settled on them and made them drowsy. Wanting just a bit more warmth, Cloud wiggled a little closer to Zack, tucking his head under his chin like a cat. There was a gentle hum and arms held tighter before the comforting wave of sleep fell over them.
"Rosie! Come back! Mom said we can't go into the mountains this far!" A young eight-year-old Cloud cried as he ran after his little six-year-old sister.
The two had gone out to play, but the younger strawberry blond girl had adventured a little too far up the mountains of Nibelheim. Their mother and father told them to never come here, that it was dangerous and no place for children to play. Mean monsters like Nibel wolves and Dark Dragons lived up here, and they were two humans trespassing in their territory. But that wasn't all that these treacherous mountains held.
Up in this altitude also housed Mako Pools. They didn't look that harmless at a distance, what with their mint green liquid and thin green strands ascending into the air. But from what Cloud knew, even doing so little as touching it could burn you! Not to mention that his adventurous little sister always wanted to play in one and see what it was like. He had to keep her safe, even if she hated him for it.
"C'mon, big brother! It'll be fun!" Rosie exclaimed, laughing as she continued to run up the mountain side.
Cloud continued to try and catch up to his energetic little sister; she was rather fast for such a small girl. Her strawberry blonde hair bounced in her red ribbon pigtails as she skipped up the mountain, her red dress flowing around her like waves in the sea.
He slipped and stumbled across stray pebbles a couple of times, lost his footing, or flat out tripped and fell on his rear. Yet Rosie was able to ascend the mountain as if she knew exactly where to go. He had already told her about twenty times today that they weren't supposed to play up here, but here he was; running after her in the mountains anyways. He knew he wouldn't be able to coax her home, so he had to try another way.
"Will you at least wait for me?" Cloud complained, huffing and puffing to try and close the gap that was between him and his sister.
At that, Rosie stopped running ahead and allowed her brother to catch up. When she saw him covered in dirt and sweat, she just laughed and giggled at him. She didn't even have one speck of dirt on her little red dress –or on her face unlike her brother.
"Well, it's about time you stopped bein' a party pooper! Come on! Let's go exploring!" She squealed as she grabbed Cloud's hand and pulled him with her.
The two siblings began to walk together, continuing to scale the perfidious mountainside. Cloud looked behind him to see that Nibelheim was beginning to shrink in size the further up they went. He knew they were past the point of no return. Glancing at his wrist, he checked the time on his chocobo printed watch. Much to his dismay, the time displayed was six thirty. They were supposed to be home an hour and a half ago. He just knew his parents were going to be furious with them when they realized where they had run off to again.
Even though they'd be in a world of hurt when their parents found them, Cloud wanted to turn around and go back home. He didn't like it up here and it was scary. But Rosie continued to skip up the winding mountain path without fear or a care in the world. His little sister had always been the brave one; she was the one who could plunge head first into danger and laugh the whole way through. The eight-year-old wished he could be as brave as his little sister.
Rosie suddenly stopped in her tracks and glanced over to the right. Cloud bumped into her, but then did the same when he saw her looking elsewhere than the path. In the distance, a pure mint green color slowly swirled up and bubbled into the sky, which was growing darker by the minute. One glance and the two already knew what it was: A Mako pool. Rosie's eyes instantly lit up like a firework and with a burst of speed, she ran as fast as she could towards it.
An unfortunate Cloud was pulled along with, shouting at his sister to stop and that they needed turn around and go home. But the strawberry blond girl would hear no word of objection and continued to run towards the glowing green light. By the time they reached the pool, the sun had completely vanished and it was starting to get cold and windy. The two were so high up in the mountain that it was getting a little harder to breathe. What breath did manage to come out did so in thick white puffs. It was only a matter of time before it would become bone-chilling cold. It took a bit of a toll on Cloud, but Rosie looked undeterred.
She let go of her big brother's hand and approached a little closer to the pool, just a few feet away from the edge. She looked down to see the beautiful green liquid rise like ribbons up towards the sky while embedded deep within its crater-like home. The little six-year-old turned to look at her eight-year-old brother, a bright light of joy swirling behind her light cobalt blue eyes.
"No, Rosie. We have to go home." Cloud commanded.
He needed to get the point across that they shouldn't be here, how they were in danger, and how their mother and father were probably worried sick wondering where they had gone. Rosie ignored the words that came out of her brother's mouth so easily it was like he never even spoke up at all. Instead, she just stretched out her hand, as if to invite him in.
"Come on, let's play Marco polo! We don't have to stay in long, I promise!" She pleaded with those sugar-coated eyes of hers. It was so hard to say no to those innocent eyes, but Cloud needed to keep his resolve. This wasn't safe!
"I said no, Rosie." He said, keeping his voice stern and even as he crossed his arms over his chest. No more Mr. Nice Guy. This was for his sister's own good.
"C'mon bubba! Can't I at least soak my feet or somethin'?" She pleaded again, throwing out her bottom lip into an undeniable pout.
"I said no, and I meant it! We'll be in deep trouble if we don't get back home now." Cloud spoke firmly. But he did soften his eyes and held his hand out towards her, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. She at least needed to get away from the edge of the pool.
Rosie pouted further and crossed her arms over her chest, obviously upset now, "Okay, fine." She grumbled, beginning to walk towards her brother.
Before she could take any more than three steps, the ground began to crack under her feet. She stopped, her eyes widening in fear as she looked at the ground below her. Before anything else could happen, the ground suddenly gave way and sent Rosie tumbling down into the Mako Pool in the blink of an eye.
"Rosalina!" Cloud screamed, running towards the newly formed edge the broken ground had created.
He hunched down onto his hands and knees, seeing his little sister barely able to stay above the surface. She could swim, but not very well and not very long. She was crying as she slapped her hands around in the Mako, trying to stay afloat in the thick green substance. Then all of a sudden she started screaming loudly, mint green tears now cascading down her cheeks rapidly.
"It hurts! Help me big brother! It hurts!" She screamed, desperately slapping at the water to try and get to the edge where Cloud was at, holding his hands out for her to take.
"Come on, Rosie! Just swim over here and I'll pull you out!" The older blond exclaimed, becoming as frightened as his little sister.
Rosie's head went under the bright green liquid and only her hands were above the surface. The eight-year-old stretched out his arms to try and grab her hands, but he was just too far away to reach her. Her head popped back up and she was screaming, crying, and sputtering Mako out of her mouth.
"Cloud!" She screamed at the top of her lungs.
With that final cry, her legs gave out and the pain was suddenly too much to bear. She went under, no longer able to fight to stay afloat. Without thinking, Cloud dove into the pool. There was immediate searing pain burning into his flesh and his nerves screamed in agony. His heart began to beat in double time, pumping adrenaline throughout his blood as it did. It wasn't until he went under the surface that he remembered he couldn't swim. Regardless, he did his best to shake off the pain as he dove deeper into the pool.
It was getting darker the further he went, but he could see Rosie in her bright red dress. He could see her frightened cobalt blue eyes burning through his like fire. She desperately reached for him with pale white fright all over her face. Cloud tried to dive down faster to reach her, but being unable to catch up with how fast his sister was falling.
She couldn't hold her breath any longer and began to choke on the Mako. As she breathed it in, she only coughed up blood. The thick crimson liquid the same color as her dress and ribbons danced around in the Mako, swirling upwards and engulfing Cloud. He let out a frightened scream, forgetting for only a moment that he was underwater as well. When he looked back down, Rosie was sucked up into the darkness and only her blood made it to him.
It was too late... She was gone.
Cloud let out another scream, losing all of his air in the process. He knew he was going to suffer the same fate as his precious sister. He lost all of his strength and determination in that moment. His sister was gone, he couldn't save her. He couldn't protect her like he had promised his parents… He was a terrible big brother.
So he let the Mako pull him down in the darkness where he would soon join his sister. He stopped holding his breath and he gave into the temptation of breathing green. It burned; it singed the back of his throat like swallowing hot knives. His insides twisted and his body felt fuzzy, as if every organ in his body fell asleep at the same time. Just as he saw darkness encroaching the corners of his eyes, strong arms wrapped around his body. He could feel the rush of the liquid going down as his body was pulled up. What was happening?
Suddenly, the pressure left his head and he felt cold air whip across his face like a harsh slap. He could hear more than just sloshing water or violent bubbles now. He was dazed, but he could tell he was no longer drowning. Someone had pulled him up from the Mako and was now pulling him away from the depths that nearly swallowed him.
There was a sharp and high-pitched ringing in his ears as if someone had set off a grenade next to his face. His vision was slightly blurred and everything was enclosed in a bright white light. He couldn't make out details, just blobs of color and blurry shapes. He felt his body being lifted out of the Mako and into the waiting arms of someone else. There were a few muffled voices yelling in his ears. If he focused beyond the ringing, he could make out what was being said –albeit with some difficulty.
"Claudia, take Cloud. I'll see if I can find Rosie." A husky voice spoke to the right of him.
"Okay, be safe, Arius." A female voice responded back.
Why did those names sound so familiar? Cloud was having a hard time recalling why. He knew he had heard those names before, but why couldn't he recall them? His vision began to focus, clearing out the blur and allowing him to see a little better. The sight of the cool night greeted him, but soon he saw a face appear in his line of sight and hover over him. It was a face he knew, but couldn't quite put his finger on. This person looked a lot like him though.
Blonde hair as light as his hung in her face as she looked at him, her worried sky blue eyes looking for any imperfections in his own face. A slender hand gently stroked his cheek and he heard her trying not to cry, although there were tears billowing thick in her eyes and he somehow knew she was failing.
"Oh, Cloud. My sweet child...You'll be okay, I promise…" Claudia whimpered.
His water-logged memory finally reminded him that he was being held and consoled by his mother. He found himself wanting to cry out of the sheer happiness that he had been found and saved, but he also wanted to cry and wail for the loss of his sister that he couldn't save. But he couldn't do any of that. His body felt tingly and unresponsive, and trying to move or talk was not an option. Just what did that horrible substance to do him? The only thing he had control over was his own thoughts.
It was then that tears finally slipped from his mother's eyes. They landed on his cheeks like raindrops. His body refused to even have him blink out of reflex; it was as if he was a soulless puppet just imitating human life. But the sound of liquid sloshing around close by had him remembering that someone else had dove back into the pool; that someone had been the one to pull him out of the Mako and bring him to safety. Who was that again?
Cloud tried to turn his head to look and see who it might have been, but found himself unable to move at all. Even breathing was feeling forced, like it wasn't a natural thing to do. However, that sloshing sound crashed loudly from his right. Even without seeing, he could tell that whoever was in the pool had now broken the surface. His mother quickly glanced up, but her face twisted into more sadness and grief. It wasn't too long after that when the other individual appeared in his fixed line of sight.
A blond man that stood tall, long hair pulled back into a low and loose ponytail and stubble growing on a well-defined face. Emerald green eyes were sullen and appeared to be sunken in. He was soaking wet and carrying a red lump that Cloud at least recognized as his sister. The water on the brain cleared and allowed him to identify the solemn face of his father.
Rosie's body was completely lifeless. There was no saving her. It made him want to cry all over again, but nothing would come out. He wanted to fight and cry and scream and tell his parents that he was sorry for staying out so late, sorry for going into the mountains when they weren't supposed to. But most of all, he wanted to apologize for not being strong enough to save his little sister. But he could do none of those things. Only a broken sounding croak echoed from his throat.
His parents eyes were soon back on him, and even through the pain, there was relief beginning to flood their eyes. Arius knelt down by Claudia's side, gently minding the lifeless bundle of red in his arms. Cloud desperately tried to tell them that he was sorry, to get some form of apology out, but the only thing that came out was another fragmented whine.
"I know what you did…" Arius spoke softly. One of his hands broke away from the lifeless red to reach down and brush some sopping wet hair away from his face, "You dove in to save her, well knowing you couldn't swim. You're a fool, Cloud…A big, kind-hearted fool." He added with a cracking voice.
Was his father…crying? He saw moisture swell in those green eyes above just like how his mother's had done before. More tears dropped to his cheeks and he knew in that moment that a man as strong as his father was capable of crying. It just made him want to do the same.
"We best get back to the village, before we lose another child." Arius spoke up.
Claudia nodded without speaking. Rosie's body was handed off to her mother, where she was taken with a broken sob. Arius scooped up Cloud's catatonic frame and held him close, as if to give him warmth. He didn't realize how cold he was until that moment. The two forlorn parents made their way back to the village, making sure to go swiftly, but carefully.
Upon arriving back at the village, they were greeted with gasps and muttered prayers. They prayed for the Goddess to watch over Rosalina Strife in the Lifestream and prayed that she didn't take Cloud Strife away from his parents. Arius buried Rosie in the backyard when they returned home. Claudia took the first shift to watch Cloud while he dug the grave. A few roses were plucked from the flower garden to decorate her tomb, which was two pieces of firewood tied together to make a cross.
Cloud's parents constantly watched over him, taking turns sleeping to make sure he would be okay through the night. When they did sleep, they slept in their son's room. They slumbered on chairs or just rested their upper body on the foot of his bed. There were many times throughout that night when it had become so hard to breathe that he just stopped for a moment. It was just so difficult to breathe in that he needed a break by exhaling and refusing to inhale for a moment.
But when his mother noticed this, she was quick to rouse his father from slumber and express that he had stopped breathing. When both of his parents were telling or coaxing him to breathe with horrified eyes and scared faces, Cloud fought to take in another breath even though it was hard to do. As soon as he did, waves of relief washed over them and they even praised him for continuing to hang on. He just didn't want to worry them anymore; they already lost one child.
He was watched like that through the whole night and even into the next morning. They had even brought in a doctor from the clinic to get a grasp on what exactly was going on with their baby. Cloud didn't like the needles that drew blood from his arm, but it's not like he could pull it away or cry. That sample had a bunch of different tests run on it until the doctor found the cause.
Mako poisoning, mild case. Cloud listed every symptom shown: paralysis, difficulty breathing, and halt of most motor functions. He couldn't get any medication for it and there was nothing that could alleviate his symptoms either. He just had to ride it out and get better all on his own.
He was bedridden for an entire week. His parents had to feed him and bathe him with great care, as if not doing so would cause him to break or die. It wasn't until the second week when he could finally move his head, twitch his fingers, and speak a few sentences. By the third week, he was moving and talking, but was weak on his feet and needed help moving around or doing things most of the time. But he was completely healed by the beginning of the fourth week.
After that, he vowed to never go near Mako Pools, or that substance, ever again.
That was when Cloud woke up from his nap crying...
A/N: That's where I'm stopping this chapter for now! Man, this chapter is bipolar or something; One minute it's all happy, then there's sex, then there's death! Maybe I'm just the bipolar one? But as you can see from the original, I pretty much changed everything! –If any of you still actually remember that big pile of crap.
So, let me knew what you guys thought and feel free to ask questions, I'll gladly get back with you!
Toodles! :)
~Zimithrus1
