Trapdoor (Part 9)

by anza (29.11.05)

They were singing "Happy Birthday" to Loz.

Cid was there, slapping his back like an old buddy - they were old buddies, and Cloud realized he rather did regret they weren't buddies now, both of them had been so wrapped up in their work. After the whole cake-thing, they set up the equipment and jammed their bleeding liberal hearts out. Their garage didn't have the best acoustics, but the forty or so friends Yazoo had somehow bullied/roped/persuaded into coming didn't seem to mind. Cloud supposed Yazoo had a reputation as a guitarist at school, as he did back in high school.

The cake was a...lopsided something from Tifa and Seph. The former almost strangled Cloud after the performance, and the latter had looked mildly embarrassed (and then downright glared at anyone who "Awww"ed) when Tifa revealed the red icing "Don't Drink Too Much Tonight!" (Loz was twenty-one now; how old Cloud felt when he set up the candles!) was his doing. It was chocolate-flavored, and Cloud didn't like chocolate-flavored stuff, but fortunately Tifa volunteered to eat the rest for him. Very delicately he dabbled chocolate crumbs off the corners of her lips. She gave him a sweet, warm smile, one he couldn't help but return. He smoothed her hair, tucking one strand behind her ear. She looked down, demurely embarrassed.

"I know that's just an act," he murmured lowly in her ear. There, there it was - her smile turned wickedly mischievious in a moment. It reminded him of his youngest brother, not standing but ten feet away -

- who was currently staring at Cloud as if he could detract some sort of miraculous revelation from him. But then his gaze shifted over to a point above Cloud's right shoulder, smoothing over into blank vapidity that would have put Barbie to shame. Cloud marveled, horrified, at the change of mask, wondering at what his little brother could possibly be staring at, until he turned around and ran smack into Sephiroth's chest.

Ouch.

"With your hair like a fluffed chocobo, it's no wonder you can't see past three millimeters of your face, Strife."

Double ouch.

He barely had time to marvel that someone other than him had said "chocobo" before Yazoo was there, dragging him towards the stage. "A speech from our beloved elder brother," he pushed Cloud like a battering ram, said oldest brother digging in his heels the entire way. There was a chorus of "Awww"s, and then suddenly Cloud was on their impromptu stage, a couple of boards from the neighborhood home improvement store stacked over apple crates. As a joke Yazoo had bet Loz would break it as soon as he stepped on it; Loz (more realistically) bet it would break as soon as all the sound equipment was piled on it; Cloud and Kadaj both bet it wouldn't break, though Cloud said it just to get the others out of his hair. Not literally. He wondered if he did constantly look like he had some giant canary roosting on his head.

"Er," he stuttered. A few people snickered. "Don't look at me that way - it's not my fault I'm up here." The microphone looked threatening at first, but now he was starting to relax. It wasn't anything he hadn't do before. He was just handicapped when it came to his social life. Yazoo was making a kissing face at him that made Cloud lift one eyebrow and squint his other eye. "I don't suppose you'd be happy if I just congratulated Loz on surviving until he was legal?" People booed. "What if I added that he did great on stage today?" There were murmurs of agreement, and then a more rousing cheer. When the sound died down, Cloud continued, "What if I said that I think I'm blessed to have three little brothers?" Now there were "Awww"s, and a few girls whistled. Cloud suddenly looked out over the faces and felt his smile freeze, as if time had completely paused for a second, and he was able to run his eyes over everyone.

He knew some of them, knew some of the faces, but most of them melted into anonymity. He got the sudden sinking in his stomach as suddenly their faces twisted into those of monsters, staring, grinning, licking their lips like predators to the kill -

- there was a touch on his elbow and he turned. His youngest brother gave him a smile, said a few words that made the crowd roar, and then firmly led Cloud into the living room, away from the noise. "I'm gonna kill Yazoo after this," he muttered mutinously. Cloud gave a faint, nauseated smile in return. Kadaj noted the expression and lifted one hand to trace the hairline. Like a supersensitive radar, Cloud imagined he could feel every cell of his fingers as they smoothed the tiny, fluff-fine hairs. The second passed into eternity, until Cloud caught himself staring into those green eyes breathlessly.

With the force he usually put into avoiding work, he wrenched himself away. "I'm fine," he said with a smile, hoping it would was reassuring enough. He got up, his back cracking as he stood. Kadaj was standing very still next to him, looking at him, studying him as if he could glean the secrets of the universe from his face.

Loz, outside, whooped as someone poured an entire bottle of champagne over his head. It seemed they weren't waiting until tonight to get drunk.

Like a warrior, Cloud made his face his shield. He was sure Kadaj could see there had been some resolution reached. "Let's go," he murmured, completely calm. He wasn't thinking anymore, he told himself. He wasn't thinking about anything any longer. And sure as hell he was going to let this, this sickness tear their family apart.