Cloud walked across the yard listening to the leaves crunch beneath his shoes. Tomorrow was Thanksgiving so his dad has asked him to go buy some turkey. Cloud looked down at the white plastic bag that held the sliced sandwich meat. Okay so they didn't celebrate the holiday quite the same way that other families did. Cloud walked into the warm house and headed into the kitchen where he heard his dad talking on the phone.
"…that's really not necessary…." Cloud gave his dad a funny look as stashed the turkey in the fridge,
"Okay, okay…I promise…okay, bye." Cloud's dad hung up the phone with a groan.
"Who was that?"
"Zack's aunt, she wants us to come over tomorrow for Thanksgiving dinner."
"….what?" Cloud's dad shrugged and shook his head. Well crap, Cloud had been looking forward to a day of lounging around in his pajamas and now he had to go out have a real Thanksgiving dinner.
Cloud woke up Thanksgiving Day to his dad pounding on his door yelling at him to wear something nice. I guess that meant he couldn't wear pajama pants. He groaned and rolled back over. He honestly hadn't meant to fall back asleep, but nonetheless his dad was back to pounding on his door.
"Cloud if you aren't ready in ten minutes I'm going to come in there and drag your lazy ass out of bed!" Cloud's face scrunched up as he reluctantly rolled out of bed and threw on some clothes. When he came out of his room his dad just looked as his un-brushed hair made more chaotic with sleep. Cloud yawned loudly as he stretched his arms over his head standing up on his toes. His dad just walked away. He didn't look that bad…Cloud looked in the mirror hanging on the wall. Okay maybe he did…Oh well. Maybe Zack was into that 'I just woke up' look. Not that he was trying to impress Zack. When they arrived at Aerith and Xemnas' house, Cloud noticed a strange car parked in the driveway. I guess they hadn't been the only ones invited. Cloud's dad knocked loudly on the door as Cloud and Roxas shuffled around trying to stay warm. Cloud looked up as the door opened and saw Zack's smiling face. He watched as that smiled vanished into a terrified look. Zack shut the door so it was only cracked,
"What are you doing here?!" Zack whispered out looking through the crack. Cloud and Roxas looked at each other.
"Your aunt invited us Zack." Their dad answered.
"Zack, who is at the door?" The door opened to reveal Aerith, "Oh you guys made it! Come in, come in." She said ushering them inside. Zack watched in horror as she led them down the hall. Cloud looked back at him and gave him a questioning look. Zack only sighed and followed after them. Cloud looked forward again into the living room where he heard some unfamiliar voices. An unfamiliar man and woman looked up at them as they entered the room.
"Well now, everyone is here!" Aerith claimed happily, she turned towards them and pointed to the strange couple on the couch,
"This is my sister and her husband, Zack's parents." Cloud's eyes widened at the news and looked back at the couple. They seemed to be giving Cloud and his family a rather sour look. Cloud felt slightly uncomfortable, and it was now that he noticed something rather strange about Zack's mom. He looked at Zack who had hung back near the wall. He met Cloud's gaze for a second before looking away. Cloud looked back at Zack's mom. No, Zack would have told him. His mom couldn't have been pregnant.
"Well, it's nice to meet you." Cloud's dad said in a strained voice. Oh yea, Zack had told him about his parental situation. The couples didn't say a word, only continued to stare at them with their sour looks. Cloud was beginning to think maybe they looked like that all the time, but then how could they have Zack, the kid who never stopped smiling. He looked back at Zack, he wasn't smiling now. He could understand why he wouldn't want them here. This was probably the first time he was seeing them since they kicked him out. They all just kind of stood there in an uncomfortable silence.
"Well, I had better go check on that turkey!" Aerith said rushing out of the room, Zack silently following her.
"Well don't just stand there, sit down already." Xemnas said from the chair he was occupying. Cloud's dad sat down in a chair next to him and they started up a conversation about something Cloud was sure he wouldn't care about. Roxas had gone to not so subtlety question Sephiroth. Zack's parents were whispering to themselves, so Cloud took the opportunity to slip out of the room and headed to the kitchen.
"Why did you invite them?! This is hard enough as it is!"
"I'm sorry Zack, I just thought…" Cloud heard Zack groan, he was standing around the corner of the kitchen listening to them talk. He was a little hurt that Zack didn't want him there, but given the situation he would let it pass. He rounded the corner and walked into the kitchen.
"Oh hello Cloud." Aerith greeted as he walked in. Zack looked up from where he was sitting at the kitchen table. He looked miserable.
"Zack stop that. It's Thanksgiving, now be happy. Everything will be fine." Aerith patted him on the shoulder and walked out of the kitchen. Cloud sat down next to Zack moving his chair so he was face to face with Zack.
"I'm sorry Cloud, it's not that I don't want you here…it's just…"
"I know." Cloud nodded. "Zack, why didn't you tell me?"
"I don't know…It just seems like so much. I have always wanted a little brother, you know? And now that I get one…" Zack choked up a bit and Cloud pulled him into a hug. Cloud petted Zack's hair as he tried to get his breathing under control. What was wrong with his parents?! Zack was an amazing person, so what if he was gay, that didn't change who he was! When Zack pulled away he wiped some tears away,
"God, I'm such a fucking baby." Zack said smiling a bit. Cloud snorted which caused both of them to start laughing.
"What the hell are you two laughing about?" They looked up as Sephiroth and Roxas walked into the kitchen. Roxas sat down with a huff,
"Man Zack, no offence but your mom is a real bitch."
"I know…" Zack smiled shaking his head. "What did she do this time?"
"She just sat there the entire time glaring at us. Didn't say a word."
"She is just afraid that we will start some big gay orgy." Zack joked,
"That or she is afraid you gayness will some how worm its way into her vagina and infest itself in her fetus." Sephiroth said sitting down. Cloud choked while Roxas and Zack laughed.
"I don't want my gayness anywhere near my mom's vagina." Zack said making a show of crossing his legs.
"Well at least she has a somewhat legitimist reason to be moody, but your dad just looks like he has a stick up his ass." Roxas added.
"Ha, I told him that once, you know what he said?" Zack said watching the other shake their, "Said, 'I'd rather have a stick up my ass than another guy's dick.'" The others laughed as Zack shook his head remembering the moment.
"At least your mother isn't a complete ditz." Sephiroth said and Zack gasped,
"I love Aunt Aerith!"
"Oh I love my mother Zack, but she isn't all there. Sometimes I wonder how my parents even got together…" Sephiroth trailed off.
"Well they certainly had an interesting child." Roxas said eyeing him. Sephiroth looked over at Roxas menacing look.
"What about you two? What about your parents?" Zack asked. Cloud sat back and gave him a somber look.
"Our father fell in love with a hooker. They got married and had us, but my mother just couldn't give up her job. She was addicted; she ended up dieing from her collection of STDs." Cloud explained. Zack's jaw dropped as he started at Roxas and Cloud is disbelief.
"…What? Ow!" Zack yelped as Sephiroth kicked him under the table.
"He's joking you idiot." Sephiroth said shaking his head. Cloud and Roxas laughed as Zack looked back and forth. He pouted slightly. They were interrupted by a loud buzzing from the oven and Aerith rushing in to take the turkey out of the oven.
"Oh, will you boys please set the table for me?" She asked trying not to burn herself. The four of them got up from the table and began to lay out plates and food dishes. Cloud eyed all the food, this sure beat what they had planned on eating, turkey sandwiches and that weird sparkling juice. Everyone circled around that table and began to pile their plates with food. The four teenagers took their plates into the living room leaving the adults in the kitchen to eat at the table. They continued their joking and poking fun at each other until Aerith poked her head in and informed them that Zack's parents were leaving. Sephiroth and Zack got up to go say goodbye with Cloud and Roxas silently following behind them. Zack's mom hugged Aerith and thanked her for inviting them. Zack stepped forward looking at the ground,
"Hey mom, I was wondering maybe if I could come visit you at Christmas. Maybe get to see Matt if he born by then." He looked up at his mom and smiled slightly. His mom kept a straight face and exchanged a look with her husband.
"We'll see Zackary." And then they left. No hugs, no goodbyes. They just left. Cloud walked up behind him and grabbed his hand. Xemnas patted him gently on the shoulder,
"Don't worry about her Zack. Everyone knows she's a bitch." He said in a gruff voice,
"Xemnas!" Aerith shrieked. "That's my sister!"
"I am aware of that Aerith, but you see how she treats her own son. He doesn't deserve that!" Zack appreciated Xemnas, but shrugged off his hand nonetheless.
"I'm just gonna go… in my room for a bit…" Zack said slipping off into the house. As he left Aerith turned back on Xemnas,
"Now look what you did!" She said putting her hands on her hips. Cloud's dad stepped in,
"Maybe this would be a good time to go." He said while Roxas and Cloud kind of stood there shuffling uncomfortably.
"Oh, well alright, but please take some food with you." While Aerith loaded his dad down with food Cloud went off to go make sure Zack was okay. He softly opened the door that Sephiroth had so kindly pointed out to him. Zack lay on a bed with a plain blue bedspread. The whole room was pretty plain actually, nothing he would imagine Zack's room looking like. It was obviously a guest bedroom.
"Zack?" He asked softly. Zack lifted his head slightly form where it was resting on his folding arms.
"Hey Cloud…" He said sitting up as Cloud sat down next to him.
"I just wasted to say bye, we are leaving in a bit. Aerith is forcing my dad to take home food." Cloud explained as Zack nodded.
"Listen Zack, I was thinking maybe we should go out and do something together." Zack perked up at this and smiled slyly at Cloud,
"Do something like what? Like a date or something?" Zack asked still wearing that smile. Cloud blushed and made a few unintelligible sounds.
"I..uhh…well…I guess."
"You guess?" He asked sounding a little disappointed.
"Yes."
"Yes what?"
"Yes….like…well…" Cloud stopped as Zack started laughing, "You're not helping you know!" He huffed. Zack stopped and smiled,
"Sorry, please continue."
"Will you go out with me?" He asked quickly before he lost his nerve again.
"Of course!" Zack beamed and started laughing again.
"What is so funny?"
"I just got asked out by the oh so attractive Cloud Strife! I'm giddy!" Zack said laughing some more. Cloud rolled his eyes and smiled as he stood up.
"I'll call you later." He said headed to the door,
"Alright, Bye Cloud! Make sure you take me someplace good!" Zack laughed and Cloud rolled his eyes. He didn't stop blushing until he got in the car.
Okay, Im sorry if this seems kind of short and rushed. I have been kind of busy lately...Well Kinda. I have this huge research paper I need to do, I keep putting it off. And I can't consentrate on ANYTHING because I entered this contest on the Radio to go see the Goo Goo Dolls in New York. I know I won't win but God do I want to. Anyway, I wanted to get this out before Thanksgiving so here you are! I really like that Cloud asks him out instead of the other way around. While I love Cloud and Zack I am kind of getting sick of the whole "oh my god it's Zack, Cloud itsn't worthy, blah blah blah." I don't know... And it always seems like Cloud is so young in them! Anyway thats beside the point. Umm, tell me what you want, I could use some ideas and suggestions. I have the basic outline for what I want, but tell me what you want to read. Next chapter will probably be Cloud and Zack on their 'date' and the begininng of Christmas (I LOVE CHIRSTMAS! They have started playing Christmas music on the radio! I love it!) Oh, and in case you didn't catch it Matt is Zack's brother (unborn brother). I think that's it...Please Review! Thank You.
