Alrighty, so for those familiar and those not so, welcome to the next installment of the Unavoidable Truth series. It definitely helps if you've read the others, but it shouldn't be too difficult to figure things out. This particular story is designed to work in the story A Life Renewed. I hopefully managed to put together a piece that makes sense.

It's not my usual fair, for I don't like to do the 'snippet' thing with my stories, but it was the best option for this on. I do encourage checking out my other stories (Order is on my profile page.

So, as usual, I don't own any of the characters or the world. I'm just playing in it and making up stories.

I hope you enjoy, and please leave a review with your thoughts.

New Beginnings

Sora sat on the stone wall, waiting as patiently as he could, watching Riku pace around. He had called it earlier after dinner- in the past hour, Riku had flipped and flopped between the opposite ends of hysteria. He couldn't fault Riku for being thrown, for he had been stunned to find a man formerly deceased standing at the front door, quite alive, and he didn't have nearly the complications to it that his friend did. Though he knew Zack's arrival would throw his friend off, he wasn't quite prepared for how extreme.

Out of every possible event Riku had considered that could happen between his move to Radiant Garden and the day chosen for his wedding, this was one not even dismissed for impossible. It was a scenario that couldn't be, yet barely three hours ago he stood in Aerith's living room, numb and dumb, as Cloud gripped another man in a tight embrace. Though he had never seen the man, he knew who Zack Fair was. He didn't even have to see him to know it was him for there was only one man in the worlds Cloud would be that excited over

Why was the man back, here, now? The timing of this was inconvenient... If there was a convenient time for your fiance's dead ex to suddenly come back to life. And Cloud was just, so damn happy about it. He had displayed an excitement Riku hadn't seen before under any circumstance.

"This is a fucking mess."

Sora shrugged. "Not really."

Riku growled. "Not really? Are you kidding me?"

"How's it a mess?"

"How isn't it? Zack's presence changes everything! Why couldn't he have stayed dead? There's no damn reason for him to be alive. And why the fuck did he have to find Cloud? He didn't think that maybe Cloud had a happy life and him showing up would just throw that into chaos? The selfishness goes totally against everything I've heard." Which was next to nothing. Cloud rarely spoke of Zack, and when he did there was a sadness that Riku hated so he didn't ask.

"I don't think he was being selfish, Riku. He wanted to be with his friends, and why shouldn't he be? He wants Cloud happy and I don't think he's gonna get in the way of that."

"You don't think? You don't know him! Probably know less than I do."

"Exactly, Riku. We don't know him, but I haven't seen anything to make me think he's going to be a problem." Sora's voice was stern. "Unless you make him so."

Riku shot him a glare. "I'm not making him anything."

Sora gave him a look.

"I'm not..."

"Uh huh."

"...you really think I'm over reacting."

"I think you need to talk to Cloud about how you feel. After you finish freaking out, of course. Otherwise, you're just gonna fight about it."

They were already doing that. Cloud also thought he was being unreasonable, which only made Riku more angry. He wasn't being unreasonable, but maybe he was a bit too reactive. That was something Jacen had cautioned him about in therapy. Act, don't react. Feel the emotion and let it pass.

Riku never got the hang of that.

"Okay...okay. I guess, I need to chill out for a minute."

Sora nodded. "I know it's weird and stuff, but he's a cool guy, Riku. Take a minute to talk to him, and maybe you'll feel better."

"Yeah, sure." Riku looked highly doubtful. "I'm gonna head back, wait for Cloud... Thanks for calming me down, Sora."

"Heh, good thing I decided to move with you, huh?"

"Totally. You can just replace my therapist."

"Hey, now! I don't want that responsibility!" Sora jogged up to walk beside him. "On that, you gonna have to find a new psych here?"

"If I want to stay on meds, then yeah. Thinking about stopping them. I don't think they helped me. Therapy was what got me on track, and Jacen said I was good there."

"Is it okay to just stop those?"

"I'll just keep cutting back until they're gone." Riku glanced over. "Let me know if I start getting weird on you, and I'll go back."

"Oh, I'll let you know." Sora laughed. "Along with everyone here."

-0-0-

The return home wasn't at all the peaceful reconciliation that any one of them hoped it would be. Within ten minutes, Riku was stonily silent with Cloud trying to get him to talk. It wasn't long after he gave up that Riku began firing questions off, all of which Cloud found more ridiculous than the one before it. The questions would repeat, worded slightly differently after brief periods of quiet that lasted just long enough for Cloud to think it was over.

Eventually, Riku did settle down, though he didn't relax. They went to bed, sticking to their own sides, and while Cloud was soon asleep, Riku laid awake. Cloud's responses to his questions had been too automatic, too dismissive. He wasn't telling Riku something. And Zack had been too damn affectionate toward him...

By morning, Riku's mind was on overdrive again. Though he recognized this, he continued thinking it was justified. Somehow, he understood this was a problem. It did no fucking good to talk to Cloud about it any further, and Sora would just tell him he was being ridiculous.

There was someone, however, who had been with Cloud and Zack before Zack's death. Throwing clothes on, Riku left the house, completely ignoring Zack and Sora as he cut past them. Sephiroth would be completely straight with him.

-0-0-

Sephiroth appeared completely unmoved by the impassioned speech Riku gave. The teenager concluded, looking at his brother for nearly a minute. When no reaction was offered, Riku asked, "Do you think I'm overreacting?"

"If you must ask, then you know your answer."

Riku scowled, pacing away. "I just don't get it. Why now? Why ever?"

"Why not?"

"That is such a cop out reply, Sephiroth."

"How does Zack's presence change your relationship with Cloud? Does it make any difference in how you and he live your lives?"

"Cloud wants to spend time with him."

"I would think you'd be more understanding of the feeling of wanting to share time with a long-gone friend."

"I-" Riku stopped. Cloud had been friends with Zack before they ever slept together. The one thing Cloud had always said was that Zack had never taken the relationship as more than friends with benefits. The loss and pain Cloud exhibited when it came to Zack wasn't that of a lost lover. "I'm totally overreacting."

"If you think so."

"I haven't been focusing on the right thing." Riku sat on an outcropping. "Cloud doesn't have an ex-boyfriend back, he has his friend back. I should be happy for that, but what if Zack wants to pick up where they left off? Obviously he doesn't see a problem with sex with someone other than your partner."

"That is irrelevant, don't you think? So long as Strife doesn't agree, how does that concern you?"

"It doesn't..." Faint voices could be heard coming closer. Riku should have expected them, and when Sora and Zack appeared he barely spared them a glance.

"Hey there, Seph." Zack waved, approaching the long silver haired man. "Long time no sanity, huh?"

"Something like that." Was Sephiroth's dry reply. "I see the Lifestream has done nothing to stifle that insufferable sense of humor of yours."

He shrugged. "Made it worse actually."

Sephiroth nodded. "It seems you've created quite the stir."

"I didn't intend to." Zack folded his arms. "You know me better than anyone outside Cloud."

Sephiroth looked to Riku. "Indeed I do."

Riku turned away, seeming almost embarrassed. After a moment, he stood and walked directly to Zack. His eyes were dark and a little apologetic. The rest of his face was neutral. "I'm… I regret my behavior yesterday. My reaction was uncalled for."

Zack nodded once. "Why don't we leave it at 'sorry for being an ass the other day'?"

Sora snorted, waiting for Riku's reaction to that. Riku studied the raven haired man intently for a long moment, then a smirk crossed his face. "You really aren't that bad of a guy."

"Well, I would hope not." Zack grinned. "What would that say about your fiancé's taste in men?"

Riku's mouth tightened, but his eyes were suddenly bright with amusement. "That he knows how to upgrade."

Laughing, Zack turned to Sephiroth. "The kid is definitely your brother, Seph."

"I never doubted that fact."

"You're all weird," Sora announced loudly. "I'm going back."

"I'll come with." Riku moved away from Zack. "Thanks, Seph."

"Next time, perhaps trying to think with your head and not your libido would be a wise decision."

"But then I'd have no reason to drag my ass out here to see you." Riku smirked. "Now, if you lived closer to town, I'd come see you just for the hell of it."

Sephiroth simply looked at him.

Riku sighed. "You'll bring Zack back later, right?"

"Of course."

"Bye." Sora waved before he and Riku left the wide cliff-facing. Several feet out, he turned toward Riku. "So, we cool now? No more stupid fighting with Cloud?"

Riku nodded. Next would be apologizing to Cloud. "Yeah, I'm cool."

-0-0-

Cloud knew who was entering the kitchen. His jaw twitched as he braced himself for another argument, not bothering to face him or stop sanding the cabinet framework. It was a surprise when Riku gripped his shoulders from behind and hugged him tightly.

"I'm sorry probably isn't enough."

"It can be."

Riku sighed, chin resting on Cloud's shoulder. "I've been ridiculously paranoid. I got scared."

"If you thought I would leave you-"

"I know. Then we have a bigger problem." Releasing him, Riku took a step back. "It's how things changed when Zack appeared... how they will change... You've never really talked to me about him, or your relationship. You've always just been...sad when he came up."

"Zack...was important to me, still is. We were... for him, friends with benefits. For me... Well, that first crush is always hard, and to go through what we did... I wouldn't have made it with anyone else." Cloud hoped Riku could understand. "He kept me going, even after he was gone. Gave me an identity until I was ready to make my own."

Riku nodded. "You said you were a mess back then."

"'Mess' doesn't do it justice. That isn't the point of this, anyway. The point is, he became the ideal that allowed me to push through the hardest part of my life. His memory... It helped me find my own strength."

"Oh."

"I don't know if that makes sense."

"It does." Riku assured, touching Cloud's cheek. "That...explains a lot. I never understood the bond, and the truth is...I didn't want to. It was easier to just leave it in the past."

"It was for me, too." The blond pressed his jaw into the other's palm. "I should have realized last night where your anger was coming from."

"I didn't know, so it doesn't matter." Riku moved his arms to Cloud's waist. "I won't freak out anymore. Shouldn't have in the first place."

Cloud's chuckle was soft, pulling Riku closer. "Wouldn't have proposed if you didn't have my heart and soul completely."

"Sap."

"Only for you." Cloud kissed him, gently at first but it quickly intensified with the release of emotions finally spoken and understood. They usually communicated better with their bodies, so it was natural for them to get completely caught up in each other. It wasn't long before he had Riku on the floor, hands and lips dancing along skin.

-0-0-

The mood was light as Sora, Riku, Cloud, and Zack made the walk to Aerith's for dinner. Sora was glad to see Riku over his paranoia and making the effort to get to know Zack. It had seemed stupid to him for the freak out, anyway. Zack was awesome; laid back and totally cool with just rolling with things. He enjoyed working with him this afternoon, even with the teasing and playful propositioning.

Cid sat outside the house, pen in his mouth as he looked over a paper. "Why the fuck isn't this…?"

"What's wrong now, Cid?" Riku moved to the side to glance at the sheet. "Oh, this mess."

"Leon's got his leathers up his ass now wanting it fixed." Cid grumbled, briefly glancing at Cloud. "Sephiroth fixed the other issue. He's here, by the way."

"Thanks for the warning," Cloud mumbled. "Staying for dinner?"

"Yep."

Cloud grimaced, but walked into the house. Riku patted Cid's shoulder. "After dinner, I'll get Seph to go over it with me. We'll get it figured out."

He thrust the paper at the teen. "All yours."

Zack and Sora followed those two in. Sephiroth was sitting casually on the sofa, sans his wings. Cloud was leaning on the wall near the stairs. It was not quite clear across the room but still relatively distant.

Yuffie was oddly subdued over dinner, likely due to their unexpected dinner guest. As it was, said guest and the prior evening's new arrival kept up a steady conversation. While Zack was certainly the more animated one, Sephiroth added his own commentary to Zack's tales, and a few times Cloud even spoke up.

Riku was ecstatic about this, sitting back and watching his 'family' interact as a family was supposed to. Cloud seemed more comfortable than he ever had in Sephiroth's presence, and he knew Zack's presence likely had much to do with that. The jealousy he had been feeling was completely eradicated by the friendship that was being displayed.

Sora, while he also was happy to see the frivolity, kept finding his attention drifting toward Leon. The man was covertly keeping his eye on the raven haired SOLDIER, and there was something in the way he watched him...Or maybe he was reading too much into simple curiosity. Zack was different than anyone else within their little group. That had to earn at least a little intrigue from an observer like Leon.

Inevitably, the tone of conversation turned, pulling Sora's attention back to Riku, who was frowning heavily at Cloud as Sephiroth excused himself and left. Though he wanted to ask what happened, he kept his mouth shut and helped clear the table. Each time he returned to collect more dishes, the tension at the table seemed worse. He only caught parts of Riku and Cloud's hissed words -something about getting a dig in and not trying- and on Sora's final run, the pair left, still bickering.

-0-0-

Though Cloud had volunteered to oversee things during Leon mysterious absence, Sora had done the majority of it. He exhaled in defeat as Cloud threw his hammer against the wall, placing a large hole in it. That was the third one today. Unfortunately, he did not have any suggestions or alternative things for the older man to do.

Where had Leon gone to anyway? It was extremely odd for Leon to not have at least come out to assign jobs. Maybe he'd been late at the bar, but that didn't seem a reason for his disappearance. Even hung over, Leon was the type to push through it and work.

Regardless, Cloud had started in a foul mood and it had only gotten steadily worse. Now he was cussing out anyone who would dare look at him. Maybe Sora should just tell him he had it covered and to go home. Then again, maybe he should lock Cloud and Riku in a room together for about two hours.

They had been arguing a lot lately. Supposedly, this was a normal phase in relationships, but Sora still did not like it, especially when it was those two. They had too many real problems to be creating more for themselves. He supposed it was a good thing they were doing it now rather than after getting married.

"Hey, Cloud?"

"What?" The blond replied tersely, picking up the spackle to fill in the hole he made.

"Why don't you go check on how the yard's doing? You know I know nothing about grass and that. Unless it's a palm tree, I'm clueless."

"Fine." He slammed the container and spreader down. He walked out in a huff and Sora prayed the guys outside could handle him. They had been pre-warned.

He spackled the wall quickly then went back to primering the other one. Sora was surprised how much he liked doing all this building. It was rather cool seeing how everything came together and knowing he helped create something that would provide a safe place for some family.

"Hey, Sora."

He grinned at the new voice. Oh, things were about to get fun again. "Hi, Zack."

"Where's Spiky sulking?"

"Out back. After the third hole in the wall, I had to get rid of him somehow."

Zack laughed. "So he's still being a little bitch, huh?"

"Yeah." Sora turned to him. "You know, just what are they going on about this time? I don't even know."

"Oh, Sephiroth said something Cloud didn't like so he retorted. Of course, Seph said something back and it went from there."

That would definitely piss Riku off. "What did he say?"

"He made a dig at Cloud not making it into SOLDIER. It was pretty funny, actually, but Spiky's still kinda sore about that. Then Cloud mumbled something about at least he was sane, and Seph replied that it wasn't SOLDIER that made him crazy." Zack suddenly chuckled. "Then Cloud called him a Mama's boy."

Sora gaped. "Wait, I missed that? How did I miss that! That would have been hilarious!"

"Oh, did I have to keep from laughing!" Zack slapped his own stomach. "Anyway, yeah. It just went down hill from there."

"So basically, Cloud's being a bitch."

"Isn't he always?" Cid appeared in the doorway. He leaned against the door jam, a lollipop again in his mouth and a light smirk touching his lips. His eyes were riveted on Zack. "Found something interestin' in my room 'bout an hour ago."

"Oh, yeah?" Zack moved to help Sora, rolling the brush with primer and taking it to the wall. "And what might that be?"

"Leon's shirt from yesterday ripped in fucking half." The smirk grew. "Looked like it'd been thrown in the corner rather carelessly."

Zack only paused for a second. "Yeah, so?"

Sora had frozen and was openly staring at the black-haired ex-SOLDIER. That was what made Zack squirm. "You, you slept with Leon?"

Zack glanced at the boy from the corner of his eye. "Uh, yeah. I guess that kinda kills my not a slut comment earlier, huh?"

Sora made a half-shrugging, half- nodding motion. He felt a strange mix of emotions with the revelation; part disbelief, part relief. It was quite an odd place to be. Leon had known this man for a day; had he been that desperate?

No, Sora knew better than that. He had seen the way Leon eyed Zack with interest. There had been a connection, subtle but recognizable if one paid attention. What he had taken as curiosity could easily been something else entirely. If connection originated from the heart...

Cid walked off, leaving the two alone. Zack turned to Sora, fingers threading through his black hair. "So, uh, looks like everyone's hearing about this sooner than I thought."

"Word spreads fast with us. It's near impossible to keep secrets." Sora forced out a laugh. He rubbed the back of his head. "Wow. I really wasn't expecting to hear that."

"Does it bother you?"

"No, well." Sora's face scrunched up. "It does a little, I guess. I don't really know. I'm not mad about it though."

"Well, that's good."

"Yeah. I'm gonna have to think about it." Sora slowly got out. "Leon can do whatever he likes with who ever he wants, but I sorta… I don't know."

"You like him." Zack flat out stated.

Sora nodded. "But, I don't like him. I mean, yeah, I depend on him, and it's really fun flirting with him, and he's a really great kisser-"

"Tell me about it."

"-but I never wanted more from him. I guess it's just a really strong attraction more than anything." Even after he and Leon had talked about their relationship to each other, deciding it was best to not try furthering it, they'd remained close. "I've been unfair to him, kinda teasing him, huh?"

"You'd have to talk to him about that."

"Yeah, I do want to talk to him." Sora grinned. He knew Leon, and even if drunk, he wouldn't sleep with just anyone. Maybe Zack would be able to get Leon to open his heart again. "Best get the fake relationship completely closed so he can move on to the real one."

-0-0-

Riku closed the front door, glad to have the house alone for the next several hours. He wasn't sure what was brewing between Zack and Leon, but he'd take advantage while he could. He and Cloud had avoided one another most of the day, giving plenty of time to think, and he wasn't angry anymore.

When he turned toward Cloud, he was amused at the look he was getting. He knew he shouldn't have been. "Relax, Cloud. I'm... done arguing."

Cloud studied him for a long moment. "What does that mean?"

"It means I'm done arguing. It's stupid and doesn't get us anywhere but mad at each other."

"Just like that?"

"Yeah."

Cloud shook his head. "It doesn't work that way, Riku. You say that now, but you'll forget it next time I do something you don't like."

"It isn't- That's not..." He floundered for words. "This hasn't been about me not liking what you do."

"It's that I'm not changing as fast as you want." Cloud didn't move. "You're banking too much that I'll become friendly with your brother, forgetting anything ever happened, and you'll have everything you want."

"I don't expect you to forget anything."

"To get the kind of relationship you're hoping for, Riku, that would have to happen. It'd be one thing if we had been friends before everything happen, but we weren't. He was my superior, and at best an associate through Zack. I don't know him any other way."

Riku was quiet. He could admit, he hadn't known that. If Cloud didn't know Sephiroth beyond the insanity, it wasn't fair to think it would be easy to get them to get along. The animosity had decreased, maybe that would have to be enough.

Cloud sighed, shoulders slumped forward. "But, we've got bigger problems than that."

Riku almost asked what, then realized he didn't have to. Rubbing his arm absently, he nodded. "I... I know."

"Neither one of us knows how to just... talk. I didn't know how bad that was for us until now."

Picking at his skin, Riku looked away. "I'm sorry."

"We don't need to be sorry, Riku. We need to fix it."

"Yeah. Any idea how?"

Cloud's laugh was out of place. "No clue, but I know we can figure it out."

Riku looked toward him. He sounded so confident. "You do?"

"If our love is as strong as we say it is, there's no doubt."

"Okay." Riku dropped his hands to his sides. Cloud was right; together they could have all they wanted. It just required they put their effort in the right place. "Let's start figuring it out."

-0-0-

Cloud stalked into the house, slamming the door behind him. Sora looked at him, a bit frightened, but Zack did not react beyond asking, "Wanna play with the sledgehammer?"

"Can I take it to some people's heads?"

"Well, I'm not going to say yes but I ain't sayin' no either." Zack ran a length of tape down to Sora. "Riku got called up for duty?"

"And Sephiroth. The water system died."

"Great," Sora muttered. "So start conserving."

"What do you want me to do?" Cloud sighed. "I don't care what. Hell, I'll even paint."

Sora stared at him. He despised painting. "Just what were you and Riku doing when they called?"

"We don't want to know," Zack said flatly. He dropped the roll of binding into the boy's lap. "Think you can finish this room yourself?"

"Uh, yeah. Where are you going?"

He moved toward Cloud and draped an arm over the blonde's shoulders. "Spiky and I are going to talk about sex over coffee and a can of paint."

"I don't want to talk." Cloud protested as he was steered outside. "It'll just frustrate me more."

Their voices drifted off, leaving Sora to shake his head in bewilderment. He hoped this meant Riku and Cloud had worked things out for good last night. The drama was getting frustrating.

Zack and Cloud weren't gone long and the three set to work. About three-quarters of the way into it, it was clear they were going to run out of primer before the room was finished. Sora offered to get another can, but Zack frowned in thought.

"I'm pretty sure this is all there was in the shed." Violet eyes lit up. "Oh! Didn't we leave like half a can in that first house the other day?"

"Uh, yeah. I think so." The teen was fairly sure they had. "I'll go look."

He darted out the door and jogged down the street to the cul de sac. A few drops of rain fell onto his spiked hair and shoulders and he only hoped it held off until he got back. Not that he did not love the rain; he was a firm believer that jumping in puddles made everyone feel better, but working in wet clothes was not nearly as fun.

Most of the other workers on the street were starting to pack up for the day. Kenshin waved as he passed the boy, asking him to tell the ones doing the landscaping to call it a day. The boy shouted an okay back and soon slowed as he approached the right house.

Two girls about his age were planting flowers up along the front porch. He had met Sakura right after moving to Radiant Garden, and the blonde -Pacifica? Yeah, that was her name- had arrived a few weeks ago. They'd crossed paths only a few times, but each occurrence they would stop to talk.

"You all realize it's about to rain," Sora stated casually, slowly walking past them

The short-haired brunette turned, followed by her blonde counterpart whose large curls swung smoothly with the movement. The first laughed. "Yeah, we're almost done."

The blonde smiled at Sora shyly and went back to scooping dirt over the newly placed plants. Sora watched her a moment before the brunette flung a clump of dirt at him. She wiggled her eyebrows at him and kept indicating the blonde, mouthing talk to her.

Sora sighed and shook his head, continuing on his errand. Sakura had told him a few days ago she was convinced Sora had a secret crush on the blonde. Sure, Pacifica was really nice, and he had liked talking to her from the day he met her, and maybe there had been a few times when even Leon had caught him watching her, but he did not like her.

Then again, the more he thought about it...

-0-0-

Another hour passed as they used up the rest of the primer. It was pouring rain now, and the last thing any of them wanted to do was walk home in it. Hoping it would ease up soon, Sora, Zack, and Cloud sat around the front room near the picture window to wait. The room still smelled of wet paint, now mixed with wet grass.

After a quick call to Riku, Sora sat back down by the window. His thoughts had kept drifting to Sakura and Pacifica, but working had kept him mostly distracted from them. Now, with nothing else to do, they came on full force and he only grew more frustrated.

Zack quirked an eyebrow at him; he had asked about his mood earlier and gotten an 'I don't want to talk about it'. Cloud looked concerned. "All right, Sora. It's later. What's the freaking deal?"

The boy sighed. "It's nothing. Sakura's just being a pain."

"Sakura?" asked Cloud. "The girl who's been getting lessons from Tifa?"

"Yeah. She keeps trying to set me up with Pacifica."

"The blonde with the rack that rivals Tifa's?"

"Yeah."

Zack's eyes lit up. "Oh, that sounds like a hot deal. What's the problem?"

Sora shook his head and shrugged. "I don't know. I mean, I kinda like Pacifica, but I don't like Sakura butting into my personal life. If I want to go out with someone, I'll freakin' ask them!"

Zack leaned back, bracing himself on his hands. "So, would you go out with her if it weren't for Sakura?"

"Maybe. I guess… She is really nice and rather pretty." Sora bit his lip in thought. "We've only talked a few times, but those went alright."

"So give it a shot. It can't hurt, and you might have fun." Zack frowned. "Unless you're only into guys. If that's the case, then don't even try, you'll just make a mess."

"No," Sora said quickly; that was one thing he had made up his mind about. "No, I'm not just into guys. Girls are great, too."

"Sooo…" Zack drawled out, a mischievous glint to his eyes. "You gonna go for it?"

Sora thought about it. Was he really being pushed into anything if it was something he kinda wanted to do anyway? "Yeah, sure. What the heck? What's the worst that can happen?"

"She ends up pregnant, and you're stuck for life with her obnoxious mother who will never see you as anything but a bum."

Sora gaped and a blush began creeping over his cheeks. "That is not going to happen, Zack."

"You said what was the worst."

-0-0-

Though the rain had stopped, the evening sky remained dark with the promise of another round. The deck, however, had stayed mostly dry and the heat of the grill warmed the what was otherwise damp air. The idea of a cookout in the rain should have been a no, but here they were doing it.

Riku and Sora had prepared the food for Sephiroth to cook, and were now on setting up the table. Suddenly, there was a squeal and noise followed immediately by Zack speeding around the corner of the house. He pivoted on one of the awning posts, crossing the deck to the one who continued to calmly turn vegetable kabobs.

"Seph! Seph!" He slowed himself down by grabbing on to the former general's arm. "He's trying to kill me!"

"Back in the day, you considered that foreplay." He did not bother trying to detach the man clinging to his arm.

"Well it's not now!"

"What are you talking about?" Riku asked, suspicion dripping from his voice. He figured out immediately who 'he' was.

"This." Sephiroth barely moved, hand shooting out to pinch a spot on Zack's side.

"Augh!" Zack twisted up, leaping away and almost into Sora. "I hate you both! I swear, I'm glad the two of you don't get along. I would be totally fucked if you ever decided to work together."

Cloud had appeared through the back door by now with a bag of items he dropped on the wood table. He brushed the side of Riku's face as he passed him, sending a light smile in the teen's direction. Sora caught Cloud's eye and smirked, then slowly backed away. Cloud took the boy's place, expression showing complete disinterest.

In perfect unison, Cloud and Sephiroth's arms shot out and attacked either side of Zack's body.

The man dropped, practically screaming.

Sephiroth continued cooking and Cloud returned to Riku, who was staring at his fiance in total amazement. Cloud said nothing as he leaned against the railing beside him. Riku continued his disbelieving gaze for a minute longer before taking a firm grasp on Cloud's neck and engaging him in a kiss that was definitely not suitable for public viewing.

When they parted, he kept his forehead pressed against Cloud's. His words were whispered. "If dinner wasn't done, I'd have you inside."

"There's a double meaning there," Cloud whispered back. He laced their fingers together. "We can hold out for a little while."

Chuckling, Riku got pulled into Cloud's full embrace. They could wait as long as needed, and as dinner progressed, he was happy they did for it was the calmest interaction he'd witnessed between his fiance and his brother. Everything would be all right for them.

-0-0-

"Sora?" Riku's sleepy voice came from his room. Upon seeing his best friend's expression, he woke up further and fully entered the hallway. A pair of sleep pants hung low on his hips, obviously thrown on. "What's wrong, Sor?"

Sora had no idea what had transpired outside after everyone had left. Leon and Zack had been alone, he had hoped they would talk things out. It appeared they had, but it seemed to have just made things worse. "Leon was out on the deck all night."

Riku frowned and blew out a breath. He rubbed at his tousled hair. "Well, we knew something was going to go down. Any idea where Zack went?"

Sora shook his head. "Honestly, I haven't even thought about it."

Riku was not surprised that Sora's focus was entirely on Leon. He pursed his lips a moment. "Leon's in the shower?"

"Yeah." Hopefully it would snap the man from the subdued state he was in along with warming him up.

"I'm gonna try to talk to him. I don't know that he'll listen, but maybe since I'm not directly involved I can get somewhere."

Sora smiled a bit. "Thanks. I really don't know what to say or do for him."

"Hey, he's my friend, too." Riku made a face. "Just 'cause I've never slept with him doesn't mean I don't care."

"I haven't either." The younger of the set stuck out his tongue.

The silver-haired one smirked. "Save it for Pacifica."

"Whaa…?" Sora gaped. How did he know about that? He hadn't had time to talk to Riku about that whole situation yet.

Riku grinned as he passed Sora. "You all seem to think all Cloud and I do is have sex."

-0-0-

He waited until her brother left to approach her. She didn't look busy with anything, so hopefully he had a few minutes. Blessedly, she was alone. If Sakura had been around, there was no way he could do this. This was hard enough as it was.

"Hi, Sora." Pacifica gave him a mild smile, hands clasped before her. "Are you looking for Kenshin because you just missed him."

"Huh? Oh, no, uh, actually, I wanted to talk to you."

The young woman tilted her head. "Why?"

Now what did he do? He didn't just want to blurt out 'I might like you, wanna go out?' ."Just wanted to talk to you. It's been a few days since I've seen you."

Pacifica looked suspicious. "I guess it has. You've been busy all over. I've just been here doing whatever I'm asked to."

"Sounds boring."

She giggled. "It is, but I'm glad to help. What you all have done here, making homes for families and helping them rebuild, is amazing."

Sora shrugged, hands behind his head. "It's all Leon's plan. He's the one who makes this work. The rest of us are just like anyone else; just trying to help create a home."

"It's very admirable."

"Yeah, but a lot of work. Sometimes, just gotta step back and do something fun."

"And what is that for you?"

"Hanging out with Riku, usually. I haven't been here much longer than you, so I haven't made many friends."

"I see. I don't have many friends, either." Pacifica took an idle step around him. "Maybe, we could hang out sometimes. When you aren't busy with Riku."

Sora grinned. This was his opening. "I'm glad you would want to, Pacifica. I wanted to spend some more time with you."

"Oh?"

"Yeah."

"Okay."

Sora blinked. What did that mean? "Okay?"

"I'd like to spend time with you, too." On his other side, she stopped. "When?"

Was she offering a date or just hanging out? Was there really a difference? Probably not. They could do something and see how it goes. "I got time tomorrow."

"I'll be with my brother in the afternoon." Pacifica leaned around him. "We could do something in the evening, unless that's too date-like for you."

"Nope! I'm good for a date!" Did he blurt that?

"So am I."

Did she say that?

"But a guy has to ask for that."

Sora laughed, way relieved by how this conversation was going. She didn't seem at all against the idea, which made things so much easier. "Okay, then I guess I'm asking you for a date."

Pacifica nodded. "Then I accept."

"Cool." He could figure out a plan for them.

"Tomorrow then?" she asked, eyes sparkling.

Sora grinned, for this part had been easier than he expected. Now he just had to decide where would they go. "Yeah. See you then."

-0-0-

"Damn, I interrupted a moment again." Riku snapped his fingers from the entryway. Cloud and Zack were standing on opposite sides of the kitchen. "One of these days, I'll catch the two of you-"

Abruptly, he noticed what they were doing. His eyes lit up, and he stared at Cloud. "You're painting?"

"Yeah." Cloud did not look at him but the amusement was clear in his voice. "And Kenshin has all the trim cut and ready to go."

"And after that…?"

"All that's left is the painting and finishing." The blond picked at a bit of stray caulk at the corner of the counter. "Then it's ready for occupancy."

Riku had the largest smile on his face that either Cloud or Zack had seen. "I can't believe our house is almost done."

"Well, Leon did put a rush order on it," Zack noted. "Not that I blame him for wanting you out of his house before you're hitched."

Riku wandered over to Zack and the open paint can. "So what do you think of the colors?"

"You know, there have been studies done confirming the color yellow causes aggression in young children," the raven-haired man commented.

"So you don't like it."

"Hey, it's not my place, so who the hell cares?" Zack shrugged. "Actually, it's not a bad shade. I normally can't stand anything yellow, but this is more of a cream color."

"I thought Sora was coming back to help us." Cloud walked up behind Riku, wrapping his arms around his fiance's waist. He watched Zack pour some paint into a smaller container.

"Yeah, he was." Riku laughed. "Then he realized he only had two hours before his date."

Both Zack and Cloud snickered. The elder of the two stopped pouring. "Wow, has he ever, like, been on a real date?"

"Nope."

Zack angled his head toward them, an almost pitying look to his face. "Oh, we should go help him. He's probably completely freaking out."

"Oh, he's fine." Riku waved the idea off. "Even if we did, he'd still be freaking out."

"Besides, you're the only one here who actually has dated," Cloud added. He frowned a bit at his lover. "That makes us sound pathetic, doesn't it?"

"It makes you sound pathetic." Riku countered, grinning. "I'm still a teenager."

The blonde narrowed his eyes at Riku, who merely laughed. "Hey, you ever want to go out on a real date, I'm all for it."

"Aw, how cute!" squealed Zack. He ignored the twin glares he received. "I'm serious, though. We should make sure Sora's all right. The first date can be a really big deal. If it goes bad, it can turn him off on the whole thing completely."

"If we all go barging in, it's just going to stress him out more," noted Cloud.

Riku's phone ringing interrupted the conversation. He gave a light laugh. "Speaking of the boy…"

He pulled out the phone and answered with amusement in his voice. "Hey, Sora… Yeah, we guessed that… Do you want us to help…? Why Zack…? Oh, so now you don't trust me, huh? ...No, no, fine. I understand. I'll just send Zack over because, apparently, your best friend isn't skilled enough to help you get ready for a date."

Zack arched a black eyebrow. He could not tell if Riku was truly upset or not. As the conversation had gone on, his tone had steadily changed.

Riku closed the phone and turned toward the counter. "Sora wants your assistance, Zack."

"I got that," he replied, exchanging a quick look with Cloud. The blonde nodded, having come to the same conclusion as Zack.

The First Class stepped forward and closed up the paint. "Come on, we're all going to torment the kid."

"Zack-" Riku started but was cut off.

"Naught uh; we're all going and that's final."

-0-0-

Sora appeared in the front room, shyly biting his lower lip. He kind of liked the outfit everyone helped put together. His cinnamon hair's spikes had been smoothed out and flattened back with a few hanging before his face. It made him appear a bit older than he was.

Leon sat up and looked over the teen critically. "Are those Cloud's leathers?"

"Yeah, they said they looked good with the shirt."

"They do." Leon half-smiled. "You look great. If I wasn't with someone already, I'd be all over you."

Sora grinned widely, and by the quick glance he threw toward Zack, it was more due to Leon's words than the compliment. The brunette was not the only one who had heard what the man said. Riku and Cloud shared rather pleased looks as Zell leaned back on his hands in amusement. Zack was simply staring at Leon who was gazing right back.

"So, uh, I guess I should go, huh?" Sora moved away from the stairs. "Wouldn't want to be late on the first date."

"That would be bad." Zell agreed, leaping to his feet. "I think I'm gonna find some food. I need to get myself familiar with the town."

"We'll come with." Cloud held his hand out for Riku.

The four left the house, allowing for Zack and Leon to talk about whatever they would, pausing at the foot of the porch steps. Sora gave them a nervous smile before heading for the other side of town. Riku, Cloud, and Zell began walking in the opposite direction.

The morning would see what the paths for all of them would be.