Hey everyone, sorry it took so long again. But I had to redefine my ideas, and I got the next chapter perfectly figured out but just need to write it up. This chapter was stuck on a lap top without internet connection so I had to wait until I got a USB to transfer this onto my computer to post. But then I forgot about this chapter…oh, bad me. Sorry I didn't get it posted sooner! Thank you to those who are still reading. Big thanks to those who are reviewing; hearing what you guys think really inspires me.

Chapter 11

Yazoo frowned, noticing the change in the way Loz walked. It was sloppier and heavier. Maybe Loz's body couldn't handle the strain but to be fumbling like he was wasn't normal. Abruptly Loz's back arched and he coughed violently, his body shuddering with rough jerks. Kadaj and Yazoo tensed in surprise but recovered quickly. They rushed to his side, words flying out in a bunch of questions. The fit brushed over and Loz straightened up, his chest heaving as he caught his breath.

"It's nothing...I might be getting a cold..." He said, his voice rough. Yazoo raised a slim eyebrow, concern lighting his eyes mildly. He questioned what Loz said, mentally trying to figure out how Loz's body had become weak enough to allow infiltration of a cold. By all means Loz shouldn't be catching a cold. Their abnormal bodies weren't so weak. Yazoo let his hand slip from Loz's shoulder and he sighed.

"Be careful, brother." Yazoo muttered before continuing on walking. Kadaj and Loz followed, all three keeping silent. Yazoo glanced over at Loz every so often when he heard Loz attempting to muffle a cough with the palm of his hand. Yazoo turned back ahead, eyes narrowing on the small path that they were following. His thoughts couldn't rationalize Loz's behaviour and he eventually sufficed with letting the subject drop from his current thoughts. He could worry about it later. They had only a few weeks before they were to reunite with Sephiroth and finish things off and the time felt that it was going by far too quickly for all of them. Loz's health now seemed to be an issue. What ever was wrong with him they needed to resolve soon. They couldn't have impairment. Not at this stage of the 'game'.

Once back home, Loz immediately disappeared into the bathroom. Yazoo could hear the running of water as his brother filled up the tub. His hearing picked up the sound of leather being peeling off hot sweaty skin followed by the rippling of water as Loz slipped into the bath. Yazoo sighed, closing his eyes for a moment before going to his bedroom. He took Velvet Nightmare out of it's holder, and grabbed a cloth from the top drawer. He began to wipe it clean, though it wasn't even scratched. His hearing picked up on a rough coughing like sound coming from the bathroom. He lifted his head, frowning as the noise became rougher and more choked-like. He stood up but as soon as he did, his brothers' fit stopped and all he could he was more splashes then nothing. Grunting, Yazoo lowered himself back into his chair and places his gun blade on the small round table next to him.

A knock on his door alerted him of Kadaj, who didn't wait for Yazoo to give permission to let him enter. Kadaj dropped down on the bed and sighed. "We're going to need to get something for that cold of his." He muttered gloomily, rolling on his side and hooking his arm under his head as a make-shift pillow as he gazed at Yazoo. Nodding, Yazoo leaned back against the chair backing, tilting his head back so he could stare at the boring ceiling above him. He didn't like the idea of taking care of Loz, but Loz wasn't doing a good enough job taking care of himself to so recklessly catch a cold. With a swift kick of his legs, Kadaj had swung himself up and off the bed, strolling to the door. "I'll go fetch some. Can you maker us a nice dinner?" Kadaj called, the last part being more of a statement then a question. He was gone before Yazoo could even mouth 'yes', the silver haired male rolling his eyes and moving to get up. They didn't have very much in their small kitchen, as they hadn't been home recently to refill it. The only stuff that remain was stuff that didn't go bad very quickly.

He ended up making pasta, the sauce only as old as the time they spent out on their training trip. They wouldn't taste the difference, Yazoo reasoned silently in his mind as he boiled the water and added the pasta. He knew Kadaj wouldn't be back very quickly, the youngest always seemed to make self-chose detours to pick up some extra things, which Yazoo didn't mind, as long as it didn't directly cause any of them trouble. Yazoo stirred the pasta, turning the temperature down when they noodles were nice and thick, quite a fair bit of the water having evaporated already. He put the sauce in a small pot, putting it on a low heat to gradually warm up the sauce without burning it. He placed the lid on the pasta to keep it warm and got plates and utensils for them. He headed back towards the bathroom, wanting to brush his hair, and get something for his small headache. He heard another noise, something unpleasant and irking compared to his brothers' earlier coughing.

"Loz…?" Yazoo called softly, knocking on the door. The noise died down and he heard a grunted "yeah?"

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm just coughing up a bit of excess spit." He said, opening the door to give Yazoo a crooked grin. Yazoo returned the smile, though still a bit concerned. "I'm all done. Is dinner ready?"

"Yes, but I'll dish it out. Just sit at the table, okay?"

"Sure thing." Loz waved absently over his shoulder as he trotted to his room to drop off his old outfit and towel in his laundry bin. Yazoo entered the bathroom, wiping off the fog that steamed up the windows. Loz always made it too hot in there. Yazoo grabbed his brush from the shelf and ran it through his hair until it was as smooth and knot-free as he liked it. He reached for the small container containing the pills for things such as headaches, and stomach pains, but hesitated when he saw something red on the side of the sink. He lowered his hand instead and lightly ran his finger tip across the red substance and brought it close to his face to inspect. It smelt like blood… "….Loz…?…Fuck."

Yazoo spun out of the bathroom, and darted to the kitchen table where Loz sat sipping a cup of water that he had gotten himself instead of waiting for Yazoo to get them drinks. "LOZ!" He called as he slammed a fist down on the table right beside Loz's arm. He held out his finger, hovering it right before his older brothers' eyes so he could clearly see. "This is your blood isn't it? What is wrong? I don't believe you have just a 'cold' do you?" Yazoo accused, watching Loz's face to witness his reaction. Loz's eyes flickered and he turned his gaze away from Yazoo's hand to his face.

Loz shrugged, trying to come up with an excuse but Yazoo wouldn't let him lie that easily. He could always tell when Loz felt cornered, and now was one of those times. "Don't you dare say it's nothing because it isn't." Yazoo snarled, honestly concerned for his brothers' health. Loz sighed, shaking his head slowly, his wet hair not moving as if gelled there.

"I was coughing too hard and I tried to stop from being too loud so you wouldn't hear and worry so much so I bit my bottom lip hard enough to bleed. When I wiped it away with my hand I guess it didn't all wash off so when I put my hand down it left a spot. I didn't want you to find out…"

"That your cough is getting worse? How could I not? I'm not deaf. I could hear every noise that came out of you mouth, you idiot." Yazoo growled, pulling his arm back and taking a deep breath. He was loosing his composure so easily. "Is it just that?"

"Yes."

"Are you lying?"

"No. You don't trust me Yazoo?"

"I don't know…I'm just a bit stressed…" Yazoo muttered, returning to the bathroom to wash off his hands and take some medication for his headache which only had gotten more irritating. Was Loz really telling the truth? He knew he should trust him, but what if Loz was lying just to cover up any of his faults or to keep them from worrying? He returned and found Kadaj at the table talking quietly with Loz. He took notice of the small bag beside Loz, and peered inside as he walked past. It was medication but Yazoo didn't know what kind. Hopefully it would help Loz. Yazoo dished out the meal, pouring drinks and then joined his brothers' at the table to eat. It felt good to be back home, eating a nice meal together. Yazoo wondered if this luxury would happen again-but he tried not to focus on it since it only lowered his hopes for success against Sephiroth.

"Yazoo, what's wrong?" Kadaj's voice brought him out of his thoughts and the middle brother smiled, shaking his head, a silent 'nothing'. These thoughts always flooded his mind, and yet he seemed to be the only one affected or bothered by such things. Loz seemed more worried about defining his muscles but now he had the pain in his chest and the cold on top of that to deal with, whereas Kadaj was a bundle of energy, going this way and that, but he was the most serious about Sephiroth and training to beat the man whereas Yazoo was quiet, training with his brothers when asked to, otherwise improving his flexibility, reflexes and polishing Velvet Nightmare.

Things were changing so fast, not just in the world but between them. Although Kadaj and he were lovers, they never acted like it, seeming to grow distant. Yazoo wasn't exactly pleased about that prospect but he wouldn't force it upon Kadaj to act as if their relationship mattered, at least not at the moment. Their lives could possibly end on that dreaded day so they took up their time preparing as best they could. But as much as they prepared for it, they knew that they wouldn't be prepared if they saw any of them die by that man's hand. Yazoo's fist tightened around the fork he held, almost bending but Kadaj again broke his train of thoughts.

"Yazoo!" Yazoo's head turned up, and he sighed heavily seeing Kadaj's perplexed look.

"Sorry, I guess I'm just irritated."

"By what?" Yazoo inwardly groaned; Kadaj just had to ask.

"Nothing important, just little things that come up…" Yazoo muttered, noticing in the corner of his eyes' Loz' head droop down slightly. Of course would think that it was about what happened before dinner, but that was only portion of it. He sighed, grabbing his plate and brought it to the counter. "I'm not really hungry at the moment. I'll finish this later. You continue with out me." He stated, as he put the rest of his dinner in a container then in the fridge. He turned and went to the bedroom, pulling back the blankets to flop down, hurling the blanket back up and curling up beneath it. His head ache was bothering him; a constant pounding in his skull that wouldn't disappear. Closing his eyes, he hugged a pillow to his cheek and waiting as sleep overtook him at an unknown point. A slight squeeze on his shoulder with a little shake stirred him from his dreamless sleep. Moaning tiredly he turned slightly, looking over his shoulder to see Kadaj lying next to him. The younger brother smiled and gently leaned in, kissing Yazoo gingerly on the lips.

"Hey, how are you feeling?"

"Hmm…better." Yazoo murmured, turning completely to face Kadaj. Kadaj snuggled in closer, looping his arm around Yazoo and pulled him against himself. Yazoo smiled, running a hand through Kadaj's soft hair, feeling the silky texture between his fingers.

"Loz admitted that he had this cold for a while…and that now it seems to be getting worse rapidly." Kadaj said, drawing circles up and down Yazoo's spine. Yazoo shuddered at the simple sensation, but his brow furrowed at Kadaj's words.

"How long?"

"A week or two, maybe more…" Kadaj muttered, his fingers tensing then withdrawing to rest on Yazoo's hip. Yazoo pulled back to meet Kadaj's eyes, meeting the same look of concern that he was surely showing Kadaj. Why hadn't Loz spoken up earlier before it had gotten this bad?

"That idiot…" Yazoo groaned. Although he called his brother names and yelled at him sometimes, he actually was really worried. They had lost Loz once, and being sick like this at a crucial time only made Yazoo worry about how Loz might fare against Sephiroth. "Well, I'll talk with him in the morning."

"If he's not puking his guts out." Kadaj joked, though his eyes told Yazoo that Loz must have brought up his dinner at some point while he was asleep. Kadaj shrugged it aside, pushing up against Yazoo and knocking him onto his back as he climbed on top. His knees gently squeezed Yazoo's sides as his hands roamed over Yazoo's lightly muscled chest. "I've missed doing this…" Kadaj muttered, his voice low and sensuous as he leaned down to drag his tongue over Yazoo's lips, who parted them and sucked Kadaj's tongue into his mouth, meeting the wet muscle with his own. Hands explored, and both males felt the familiar warmth seeping into their bodies but before they could really get into it they head a loud thud and a rough scratching like sound from the bathroom.

Both silver haired men sprung from the bed and raced down the hall. Of course the door was locked but they could hear Loz clearly, gasping painfully and clawing at something. Yazoo rammed the door with his body a few times until it broke, Kadaj pulling it out of the way. Loz lay on the ground, a hand clutching at his chest, the other gripping so tightly to the side of the counter, that his knuckles had turned white. Loz's face was deathly pale and his mouth kept opening and closing but only a raspy noise came forth. His eyes turned up, the look on his face was one they had never seen before but it frightened them. Blood was dripping from the corners of his mouth and he managed another cough, a bit of blood being coughed up onto the tiled floor.

The two brother's eyes were wide with shock; fear making them hesitate before they screamed out, "Loz!"

Chapter end

Oh…what's wrong with Loz? Oh…secret...secret…secret!

Please review, opinions and comments help me a lot. :D

And I apologize again for the lateness and shortness!