Chapter Thirty-Seven: Hospitality

He decided to slip out in the early morning. He had forgotten that this was considered morning, as any other night after drinking, it would be around the time he would be going to sleep. But four a.m. came by faster than he expected, and he was thankful that he at least sobered up a bit after napping on the couch for a few hours.

Usually around this time, his aunt would still be asleep and his uncle would be getting up to head to the mines. His uncle he could deal with, but it was his aunt that he didn't want to see him leave. It would probably upset her, and he would feel more inclined to stay for a few days, which were days he felt as if he didn't have for his hunt. So he put together what provisions he needed in his seabag, and he left.

The south exit to the town was but a short walk, and he could already see the signs warning the travelers of the dangers of the desert ahead. He never actually bothered to read those things, and to this day had no idea what they said exactly. Most of the paint on the signage was weathered anyway and ignored. No one in town seemed to bother to repaint them. If a traveler managed to make it to the town alive, then they were more than aware of what lie ahead if they were to leave again. They would have no use to know what they said.

He heard a low rumbling behind him in the dead of the early morning, and he turned to see a pair of headlights coming his way. He stepped off the dirt road and closer to some buildings to allow the truck to pass. He turned when it instead slowed beside him.

"'Ey, dumbass."

"Mornin', Uncle," Graves said over his shoulder as he continued to walk.

The truck rolled slowly, the engine puttering in idle as it crept along. "Off to get your revenge?"

Graves scoffed. He really didn't expect much from Dyne. Of course he was going to leak his information. He knew that the moment he sat down with the man for a few drinks. Whatever he had said to the man he knew would eventually make it back to his uncle, and most likely his aunt. "Yep. Gonna be a good one too. Wanna come along?"

"Ya fuckin' idiot."

"Love ya too, Uncle," he said lightheartedly, if not just a little sarcastically.

"How the hell ya gonna get to Nibelheim on foot? Especially with that busted leg."

"My legs still work, don't they? I'm walkin', ain't I? Use yer head."

"Ungrateful," his uncle said with a scoff.

"Yeah, yeah, spare me. Thought ya'd be happy that I was outta yer hair." He began to pick up the pace, but it was slower than he intended as a shooting pain tore through his thigh. His uncle didn't even have to press on the gas to keep up with him.

"I am! Just leavin' ya with a farewell gift to hurry things along."

Graves stopped walking and turned, peering through the darkness to make out his uncle's sharp features in the dim light of the dashboard. "Yeah?"

"I don't need this damn truck no more. Your aunt's been tryin' to get me to sell it, but I ain't found anyone with a good 'nough offer yet." He put the truck in park and got out, not even bothering to shut the engine off or to shut the door.

"I ain't got nuffin' to offer, Uncle," Graves said with a casual shrug.

"Course not, you're nuffin' but a freeloader." He tossed the keys at Graves and smirked when he caught them without missing a beat. "Freeloaders ain't got shit to offer."

Graves walked around the back of the truck and approached his uncle with a smirk he was unable to hide. His uncle returned it and they quickly embraced, patting each other on the back roughly. "Thanks, Uncle."

"There's some grub your aunt cooked for ya in the cab and a map, and extra fuel tanks in the bed. Should be 'nough for ya to get to where you're headed."

They pulled away and his uncle stepped aside to allow Graves to enter the truck. It smelled of his aunt's cooking, and he couldn't help but feel a small pang of guilt for having left without saying goodbye to her again.

"Hey, Uncle, listen …"

"Yeah, yeah," his uncle said, waving his hand about to dismiss him. "Jus' leave. I ain't got time for your sob stories." He slapped the hood of the truck, looking away for a moment. "Jus' remember that there's enough food and fuel to get ya there, but after that, you're on your own."

"Got it."

"And … jus' remember that your aunt and I won't mind if ya wanna come back and be a freeloader again when you're done."

"Thanks," Graves said earnestly. They paused for a moment, and eventually made brief eye contact, but that was it. There was no long goodbye, no tears – nothing. His uncle just simply turned and headed back towards the direction of his home.

Graves released the parking break on the old truck and already dipped his hand into the bag of food to pull out a fresh roll of bread. There was a few large jugs of water, fruits and nuts, containers full of big meals, even a pillow tucked away on the other side of the bench seat. His hand even sought out a pack of cigarettes in the bag, even though his aunt heavily disapproved of his smoking.

He refrained from lighting up a cigarette just yet, and he refrained from glancing back at the town in the rear view mirror. He just fixed his eyes ahead in the path towards Nibelheim.

Endless, bleak terrain had passed by, pathetic little shrubs and sand blurring all around. The heat of the desert disappeared hour by hour, mile by mile as the sun set, and then rose again. Sand turned to dirt, dirt turned into lush plains with cool breezes. Mountains began to roll past the windows and even strong winds whistled through the rickety doors in the truck, killing the already weak radio signal Graves managed to pick up in hopes of some music.

Pine trees began to spot the mountains, but the further along he drove into them, more and more began flooding his surroundings. What was a faded path in the plains now became a definite dirt road leading up towards the town, winding between the trees. Everything was so vibrant, more than anything Graves had seen before. Midgar, Costa del Sol, even Kalm had little to no plant life, and to be around this much now was almost breathtaking for him.

Soon, a looming structure peaked over the horizon atop Mount Nibel, and it was an ominous sight. Browned and dead trees littered around, withering as familiar green fumes billowed out and poisoned all life near it. He could smell the mako mixing with the mountain breeze and it turned his stomach, taking any sort of pleasure away from the rest of the beautiful surroundings. He managed to peel his eyes away from the reactor as the town came into view.

Graves finally pulled over to the side next to a building, right before the town entrance archway. He looked up at it as he exited the truck, noting the lack of a town name on the arch. It was chilling in a strange way, which made him wonder if he really had the right town to begin with. But once he entered and spotted the infamous Shin-Ra mansion in the distance through the morning fog, he knew he was in the right place.

The town was sleepy. There were a few people wandering about between the houses and the shops, but the mood was calm and almost serene. The loudest noise by far was the rustling of the leaves in the trees and his own footsteps crunching along the rocks in the dirt path. The town was also very small and it only took him a few minutes to walk – limp – through it. There were several paths that led down to other clusters of houses and shops, and one that led to the mansion and Mount Nibel. He passed through those, peeking between houses and inside windows for any signs of Mejia.

But there were none. Only the charming houses with the mountain air … only calm people with calm expressions were around him. He decided to check at the inn towards the entrance, but the innkeeper confirmed what he was not wanting to hear. Mejia wasn't there either.

No shop, small business or restaurant went ignored in his search, and by afternoon he was faced with the possibility of the man being holed up in a private residence, or not there in the town entirely. He even had entered the mansion warily, but through a search on both floors, he found nothing but empty rooms and silence. So he left.

He entered a small shop filled with goods and sundries, looking for something to eat that wasn't his aunt's cooking. He could only eat it for so long before he started to feel unhealthy; it was greasy most of the time and that was how his uncle liked it. He finally decided on some snacks, but it wouldn't be enough to sate his hunger. And he didn't even have enough money. So he spent the next few minutes trying to haggle down the price, but it was fruitless. No matter how calm and nice the people seemed, they were also stubborn, he learned.

"Are you hungry?"

Graves looked behind him to a woman with a small basket of groceries. She smiled at him sweetly. "Course I am. I always am. 'Cept this fella won't help out and gimme a little discount." He motioned to the shopkeeper who only shrugged as a response.

"I can help pay for what you need."

"Naw, it's cool, ma'am. I couldn't take yer money."

She paused for a moment as Graves turned back around and tried to continue to negotiate some sort of discount. After watching him fail again … and again, she approached the counter and set her basket down. "I'd like to buy all this." She pointed to her purchases and Graves' as well.

"Look, ma'am –"

"Then how about a cup of tea and a sandwich?"

Graves stared at her until a small grin came across his face. He tossed the snack items aside. "I suppose I could do that, at least."

Zack knew he shouldn't have asked Cloud the question, as when he did, the content look on Cloud's face turned to an embarrassed and reddened shame. The conversation died immediately. He couldn't help it; it had been driving him crazy not to ask and not to know the answer.

"I-I don't know," Cloud murmured, looking away from Zack's eager face to stare at the Sector 8 fountain. He watched as a few children tossed in gil and made a wish, then ran to catch up with their parents as they continued on. It was a beautiful day on the upper plate – warm with a nice breeze that was carried all the way from the ocean. Oftentimes, the retaining walls that lined the city sectors would block most breezes, but today it was strong and flowed between the buildings and roads.

"You don't have to answer, I'm sorry," Zack whispered, patting his knee a few times as he smiled at him, even though Cloud's gaze was no where near his.

"No, it's okay. Let me … think about this for a moment."

Zack nodded, pressing his lips together to try and stop himself from grinning like an idiot. Perhaps the question was too soon, perhaps it was completely inappropriate, perhaps it would scare the boy, but Zack had to know.

Cloud was quiet for a while, his head aimed down as the blush on his face grew even stronger during his thoughts. His eyes fluttered closed as a breeze picked up, lifting the long strands of hair away from the sides of his face. Zack couldn't tell if he closed his eyes to enjoy the breeze, or if this was some sort of method of hiding from everything. Regardless, he looked so cute and Zack wanted to reach over and play with his hair.

Eventually, those blue eyes opened and his lips parted, yet nothing but a small laugh escaped. He stammered and shrugged, he made every noise of discomfort that Zack had heard anyone ever utter, and if he twisted his hands together for any longer they would become chafed.

"Hey, forget about it," Zack finally said. His hand slipped from Cloud's knee back onto his own.

"It was hot," Cloud finally blurted.

There was a moment of pleased silence. "Yeah?" Zack said slowly, his smile almost turning into a sly grin.

"Yeah," Cloud said, letting out a shuddering breath. "I … really liked it."

"I told you that you'd like it."

Cloud covered his face with his hands, groaning into them. "Why did you have to ask that in such a public place?"

Zack glanced around, frowning as he took in his surroundings. There were quite a number of people lounging about, but none were really paying them any mind. "Because, after that night, I just really had to know."

"You … couldn't tell?"

Memories of Cloud's moaning with the movement of his hips and body came to him. The scent of their heated skin against each other accompanied the sights and sounds, and even if Cloud was a bit nervous during the intimate position, there was no doubt in Zack's mind that he hadn't enjoyed it.

"I," Zack began, and as he smiled wide again he let out a breathless laugh. "I just wanted to hear you say it, I guess."

"Pervert," Cloud muttered, turning his face away from Zack. But Zack leaned forward to look around him and he caught a small smirk.

"And yet, you're smiling."

"It's kind of hard not to when you're staring at me with such a goofy face."

"Well, it's one of my favorites because we can enjoy it together." Zack reached into his pocket and pulled out a gil, flicking it with his thumb over his shoulder to see if he could make it into the water. He turned on the edge of the fountain to watch it, then frowned as it hit the structure of the fountain and ricocheted into the water at a strange angle. "Sorry if I embarrassed you."

Cloud turned to watch it, but then after Zack's gil toss was none too graceful, he turned back to facing ahead. "No, it's fine. Just … pick a more private place to ask that sort of thing. I guess you just blindsided me."

Zack shrugged, fishing around in his pocket for another gil. He was more than pleased with Cloud's answer, and perhaps the reason why he was so quick to ask was to test if things were starting to lighten up with Cloud. For the past few days Zack was feeling a bit guilty for allowing that passion to happen, but perhaps the past was becoming exactly that – the past. Maybe things would start to become easier for them both. Something told him that Cloud was probably forcing himself again, but with Cloud's natural reaction right now assured him that things might be changing for the better.

He tossed in another gil over his shoulder and smiled when he heard it plop into the water without hitting the center. "Wanna have a go?" He reached into his pocket again and placed the gil into Cloud's palm when it was offered up to him. "Make a wish."

"You've been wishing? I thought you were just pointlessly tossing money away."

"You gonna toss it or not?"

Cloud frowned down at it for a moment, then flicked it over his shoulder in the same fashion as Zack had. It hit the center of the fountain with a rather loud ping and dropped into the water. "Well, I made it, at least."

"What did you wish for?" Zack said, smiling at him warmly.

"I didn't."

"Well, that's no fun! Here." He reached into his pocket one more time and cupped his hand over Cloud's, holding it there. "Try again, and this time, wish for something."

"Fine, but I still think this is a waste." Cloud looked down as Zack pulled his hand away from his, and Cloud frowned down at the small metal object that was left there. "What's this?"

"I got to thinking when you mentioned that you wished you could've come to wash the dishes when I was gone on vacation. And when the door was locked when you tried to come back for your boot bands …"

Cloud stammered, confused. He glanced between it and Zack. "It …"

"It's a key to my place, yep. So you can come and go whenever you want or need to."

"Am I even allowed to have one?" Cloud said in a small voice. He looked ashamed that that was all he was able to say after receiving such a gift.

"I don't see why not," Zack said simply. "Just don't toss it into the fountain. That water looks cold to wade through."

Cloud's small voice turned into a whisper. "Thank you, Zack." His fingers closed around it and his bottom lip was nibbled on for a brief moment.

"Now, don't think this is an invitation to come and clean my place. I swear, if you use this just to come in and clean and to not be there because you want to, I'll take it away."

Cloud shook his head seriously, almost looking frightened at the fake threat. "N-no, of course not."

"And no wild parties if I'm ever away."

"Of course not!" he said just as seriously.

Zack suddenly laughed loudly, wrapping an arm around his shoulder and bringing them together. "You're too cute!" He held his grip on him and ignored his uncomfortable wiggling against him as several people turned to look as they walked past. "I gave it a little bit of thought, and I guess it couldn't hurt for you to have it, right?" He gave Cloud a very quick kiss on the head and released him.

Cloud opened his hand again, fingering the key and smiling as he watched the sunlight reflect off its surface. "Thank you."

"You said that already," Zack said, finally reaching up to brush Cloud's hair away from his eyes. He caught a very serene look on his face.

"I know. I just …" He trailed off, biting his bottom lip once more in an attempt to hide the fact that he wanted to smile with excitement. It wasn't working and the corners of his mouth began to curl. "I don't know what else to say."

Zack shook his head with a small chuckle. Cloud's reaction over the key was more than he expected. "Well, you could say that you'll use it."

"I'll use it."

"Good," he whispered, his hand going down to Cloud's to squeeze it. "Don't hesitate to come at any time of the day or night, for any reason. Even if you just want to grab a snack really quick, you don't have to ask."

Cloud nodded, placing the key into his trouser pocket carefully.

"And … one more thing."

"Yes?"

Words began racing through his mind. Second by second, he tried to piece together sentences that would remotely begin to convey what he wanted to say. Soft and romantic whispers, elaborate confessions carefully woven together with emotion, even a simple 'I love you' – it all prodded at his tongue. Yet, somewhere in the back of his mind he knew that eloquence was far from attainable when their eyes met and Cloud smiled at him sweetly.

"Uh …"

Those eyebrows were lifted on his face in wait. The wind picked up more of his hair, and Cloud pouted at it in the most adorable way as it brushed against his nose and tickled him. Zack felt more inclined to say it now than ever.

"You just have to remember to jiggle the key a little bit before you turn the doorknob."

"Oh, sure. I'll remember that," Cloud said, his voice light.

Zack only was able to smile weakly in return.

The woman led him into her home across from the water tower in the center of the town. It was a quaint home – small, but open, and he breathed in deep to take in the smell of the wood-burning fireplace. Mismatched wooden floors ran past the foyer until it hit dark cobblestone that lined the kitchen. It spread up onto a second level that was separated by a few short steps, blanketed by a large rug, rich with warm and earthy tones. Two beds sat off to the right, tucked away in the corner. One looked as if it hadn't been used in quite a while.

He watched as the woman walked over to the kitchen area and set her groceries down. She motioned for Graves to take a seat at the table up on the second level of the room.

"What's your name, dear?"

"Graves, ma'am."

"Graves?" She glanced over her shoulder at him, smirking slightly. "That's your first name?"

Graves shook his head as he sat down at the table. "Naw, sorry, ma'am. That's my last name. I'm jus' used to everyone callin' me by my last name. It's Casey."

Her smirk turned into an excited smile. "Casey! I like that name!"

He peered at her for a moment, thinking that she was mocking him at first. But the genuinely entertained look on her face made him realize she was being serious. "Thanks, but I hate it." He was silent for a moment, watching as she bustled about at the stove, readying a tea kettle. "And you, ma'am?"

"I'm Min," she said simply.

"Min?"

"Or Minnie." She shrugged. "Whatever you'd like to call me." The kettle was placed on the stove and she moved to start to prepare a meal for him. "Well, my name is actually Cinnamon-Rose, but that's such a strange name. Min is just easier."

Graves was the one to smirk now. "Cinnamon-Rose? No disrespect, ma'am, but that is a strange name."

"Oh, I know. My grandparents were Cosmo Canyon natives and they passed down names that were … nature-sounding, to put it nicely." She paused and glanced out of the window in front of the sink as she washed her hands, but then turned to him. "They were hoping that it would make their child more in tune with the planet or some other ridiculous thing. My grandmother's name was Clover-Quinn and my mother's name was Chloe-Jade. Go ahead and laugh."

Despite her invitation, he got by with only a small snort of a laugh. He was at least trying to be polite. "That second one ain't too bad a name."

"I suppose not." She poured him a cup of tea as the kettle began to whistle, and she brought it over to him with a warm smile.

"Thanks, ma'am."

She nodded and went back to the kitchen area to start his meal. "It's funny because on my side of the family, we only seem to have girls," she said. "I was going to name my daughter Celeste, but instead I had a son. He broke the female chain in the family."

"What's yer son's name?" He took a sip of the tea, frowning thoughtfully at it. It was good, but a flavor he was unfamiliar with. Then again, any sort of tea he wasn't very familiar with.

"Well, even though I don't really believe in what my family believed about the planet and all that, I wanted to keep the name tradition, if nothing else," she said, finishing assembling the sandwich she promised. She smiled at him as she walked up the steps, setting the plate down in front of him. "So I named him Cloud."

Graves sputtered on the tea, cupping a hand to his chin to catch the liquid.

"You okay?"

He looked up at her with wide eyes, but then just nodded. "Y-yeah. Jus' fine." He cleared his throat. "I see a trend with the first letters of yer names."

"I love names that start with the letter C. It's such a strong-sounding letter, don't you think?"

"Uh … sure, I guess it can be," he said, shrugging, and he dabbed at his mouth with the napkin she provided. "But why no second part to yer son's name?"

She stepped back down to the kitchen and began to clean up the mess. "My husband refused. He was a stubborn man." She paused as if remembering. After a moment, she let out a soft laugh. "He said it was bad enough we were naming him Cloud. He hated the name at first, but … it grew on him," she said thoughtfully.

Now things are startin' to make sense with that kid.

She suddenly sighed after a moment of silence, and she leaned against the counter to stare out the window again. "I miss my son."

"Where is he?" he said, trying to detach any sort of knowing in his voice.

"Ran off to join Shin-Ra like everyone else," she said with an exasperated sigh. "I didn't approve of it … but … it's what he wanted. I hope he's doing okay."

"He hasn't contacted you?"

"No, he hasn't. I miss him. I worry about him."

Graves scoffed. He couldn't really judge Cloud for not keeping in contact with his mother, but after all the terrible things that had happened to him in the past, it might have done him some good to talk with her. Even if none of it was ever mentioned. "Dun worry," he finally said. "I'm sure he's bein' takin' care of at Shin-Ra."

"Are you with Shin-Ra at all?" She suddenly looked hopeful, and her eyes scanned him over, taking in each feature that she could. "Do you know my son? I want to know if he's okay."

Graves lifted an eyebrow at her. "Naw, I ain't with Shin-Ra," he said slowly, and watched as her face fell. "But … with a name like Cloud, I'm sure he had to grow up tough to fend off the bullies. I'm sure he's kickin' ass jus' fine back in Midgar."

She let out a breathless laugh, sounding very defeated. She tapped her finger on the sink to the rhythm of the water dropping from the faucet. Her eyes went back to the window again. "He'll make it into SOLDIER, I know it," she murmured.

"Yes, ma'am." Graves took another sip, then frowned down at the tea. The unknown flavor was driving him crazy. "What kinda tea is this?"

"Rose tea … with a pinch of cinnamon."

"Cute," he said sarcastically, yet amused.

"I'd like to think so." She went silent again, still staring out the window. When she finally spoke, she muttered to herself. It was in the same way Cloud would do, and it made Graves grin a little. "I wonder what's going on in that mansion."

"Huh?"

She shook her head, turning to face him again. "I've seen a lot of activity going in and out of there the past few weeks. Apparently there's a small team here from Shin-Ra. That's what my neighbor told me, at least."

"Who?"

"Oh, I don't know. I don't pay attention to any figureheads within Shin-Ra at all. All I know of is Shinra himself, Sephiroth, and my son. I'd be damned if I learned any of their names."
"Did ya see someone goin' in right now?"

"Yeah, a few minutes ago when I was making our tea."

"How many people went in?"

"Just one."

"What'd he look like?"

"My eyes are going bad so I really couldn't see. I'm not as young as I used to be. Of course, stressing about my son doesn't help. He's put quite a number of gray hairs on this ol' head. And this was all prior to joining Shin-Ra!" She laughed to herself, shaking her head.

Graves stood up from his chair, nearly knocking it over. "I'm lookin' for someone in this town. Ya gotta remember what he looked like!"

She blinked at his sudden outburst. "I-I really don't know. I honestly didn't see him that well. I'm not even sure if it was a he."

"Ya said he just went in, right?"

"A-about five minutes ago. A few lights flickered on and off in there right now."

"Shit …"

"There hasn't been much activity in that mansion in years. It just stands and collects dust and cobwebs. I was surprised to see people going in a few months ago."

"Wait, more people now?" He frowned at her, narrowing his eyes. He had checked the mansion. It was empty.

She nodded. "About three or four months back. In the middle of the night, there was a helicopter that landed in the outskirts of town. The noise woke me, so I looked out the window, hoping that it was my son coming home on leave. But some people escorted by SOLDIER walked through and went straight to the mansion."

"What'd they look like?"

"I don't know. I'm sorry."

"Thanks for everythin', Mrs. Strife," he said quickly as he rushed down the steps. He winced when he took a hard step down and pain shot through his thigh.

"Wait!"

He waved her off, limping to the front door. "Naw, I'm fine!"

"No!"

He turned back around as she ran up to him frantically. "You just called me Mrs. Strife!"

"Yeah …?"

"I didn't tell you my last name."

Aw shit.

"How do you know it?"

He sighed loudly, rubbing his face in his hands. "I know yer son."

"I thought you looked like a SOLDIER!" She clapped her hands excitedly, trying to usher him back in. "Are you the same class as my Cloud? How is he doing? Is he famous yet?"

Graves didn't move forward and he frowned at her. It wasn't really his place to tell her. "Cloud's doin' fine, ma'am."

Her face transformed into an unbelievable expression of happiness, relief and excitement all in one. She grabbed him by the arm and began to tug him back into the kitchen. "Please, tell me more."

He growled. "I'll tell ya whatever ya wanna know later!"

She suddenly released his arm and nodded, that expression falling a little. "Sure, I'm sorry."

She apologizes a lot.

He walked to the door and opened it, giving her a respectful nod. "Thanks. Ya don't hafta worry 'bout Cloud. He's … being taken care of." He turned and opened the door.

"Thank you." She smiled at him as he trotted out.

They spent a few more hours together by the fountain, and Cloud had even followed Zack back to his apartment for the ceremonious test run of the new key. It was a surreal feeling being able to step into the apartment he had been feeling barred from all that time, and all he had to do was turn the knob. He even got it to open without having to jiggle the key.

He stayed for only a little while, mostly to grab that quick snack that Zack had offered in theory earlier. Zack was more than happy to oblige. They didn't even bother with turning on the television or even sitting on the couch, as time was too short and they didn't want to pull away from each other's arms until the last moment. And when that moment finally came, they stretched it out into several more with slow kisses for as long as they could.

Zack had started to walk back with him but was only able to get into the elevator before his phone went off for a mission. He grumbled and stopped the cart, stole a few more kisses from him and then left. Cloud was relieved to know that it was only a few escaped monsters down in the labs that the scientists were too scared to apprehend on their own. He was a little bit nervous when Zack was called up for duty; he was afraid he would leave again for a long time. Even with a key to Zack's apartment, it wouldn't be the same to be there without him.

Cloud entered the barrack with his hand flipping the key between his fingers inside his pocket. He couldn't stop playing with it and he couldn't stop smiling. He didn't own any keys except for the one to his house, but that was lost somewhere deep in his locker and wasn't even on a keyring. He thought himself silly for trying to think of what he could put it on, and even wearing it around his neck on a chain had crossed his mind. Wearing anything but issued dog tags in uniform was against regulations, so he had to come up with something before he lost it.

He entered the locker area and began to rummage through his belongings with the hope to find something to properly store it on. He couldn't find anything to clip it onto, so he placed it at the bottom of his toiletry bag with his house key. He carefully inspected the bag to make sure there were no holes and that the zipper worked fine, and he placed it back in his locker with a relieved sigh.

There had still been lingering doubts and confusion about being with Zack, but those began to leave him the more he realized how much Zack meant to him and how much he was starting to mean to him. Zack's intentions and even his own were hard to read, and at first he thought everything had been done out of pity for him. Even if pity was the root of all this, would the time they spent together and their laughter be fake? Would each glance, each caress be nothing but a fabrication formed from some sort of charity towards him? If the pity eventually disappeared, and what was left was still the laughter and affection, would it really matter in the end where it came from?

Cloud went to shut his locker after he changed into his sleep gear but stopped when he heard two people muttering to each other on the other side of the row. He thought he heard his name being picked out of the conversation, and after he heard a few familiar 'yeah's, he realized it was Ratcliff speaking with someone. Cloud moved quietly to the end where they were standing and listened.

"I can only withhold this info for so long before the Brass will come poking their nose in everything. I'm already being watched from the shit that went down in Kalm." It was Kunsel speaking.

"Sir, can't you hold out a little longer? Give him time to come back, yeah?"

"Ratcliff, he's not coming back, you yourself told me that he said that." There was a pause, and Kunsel's voice became even lower. "I've managed to keep this from them for over a month. I have reports to give on my men and if he's not in them, they'll start to ask questions."

"But-"

Cloud started to walk slowly around the corner.

"I'm sorry. There's nothing more I can do. He left, he's not coming back."

"Are you guys talking about Graves?" Cloud said.

The two jumped and Ratcliff placed a hand on his chest and looked away. Kunsel rubbed the back of his neck, frowning. "Shit, Cloud, how long were you standing there?"

"Long enough," Cloud said. "What's going on with him?"

Kunsel sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his hand. "Nothing, yet. He's been gone for a month and I didn't want to report it yet until I thought of a plan. But I can't think of one, so I'm left with nothing else to do but report him officially AWOL."

Cloud's eyes went wide and he took a step closer to them. "Please, don't! They'll hunt him down for sure!"

A sympathetic look crossed Kunsel's face but his body language stayed strong. "Cloud, you need to realize that I've let this go for too long. I'm going to have to lie about when he actually left because it's really been that long. I have my own ass to protect."

"Kunsel, please, don't," Cloud murmured, pleading. He felt like a child begging, but he couldn't think of any other way to show his concern.

Whatever sympathetic look Kunsel had was quickly gone. "Cloud, there's no arguing. He made his own bed, he needs to go lie in it. I'm sorry."

Cloud stood there, his eyes flickering on the man in disbelief. His breathing started to quicken; panic started to swarm him. "But …"

Ratcliff reached over as Cloud started to pant and he rubbed his back lightly to calm him. He could feel Cloud trembling beneath his hand. "Cloud, you're shaking like a leaf, yeah."

"How else am I supposed to react? They'll have him killed!" he shouted, his voice echoing between the metal lockers.

"No, you don't know that," Ratcliff said reassuringly, even if it was possibly true. "Let Kunsel handle this, yeah?"

"I'll do my best to try and talk to the Brass about it." Kunsel peered around the corner, his eyes watching as the men in the barrack started to migrate to their bunks for the night. He looked back to Cloud, his voice even softer than before. "If there are reconnaissance missions, I'll try and make sure that it's me going after him. I can report that he's KIA so they back off and stop hunting him. That's the best I can do for him."

"Would that even work?" Cloud whispered, finally calming down.

"Genesis was reported KIA, wasn't he? His clones are still popping up all over the world."

"That is true, yeah," Ratcliff said, giving Cloud's shoulder a tight squeeze. "You can't trust Shin-Ra, especially their media."

Cloud just ignored this and continued his pleading tone. "Can't you hold out for a little while longer?"

Kunsel was quiet for a few moments, his hand instinctively going to grab his phone from his pocket. He opened it and glanced at the screen but then closed it after taking no action with it. After a few more seconds, he repeated this with a heavy frown; it was most likely out of habit as he was thinking. He suddenly sucked in a breath to speak, and Cloud began shaking again. "I'll hold it off for two more weeks. But he's not coming back, so get that out of your heads, both of you."

Cloud opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

"At least, if I push it for just a little longer, it'll ensure that he's settled after doing whatever he was doing. Hopefully by then he'll be lying low." Kunsel shrugged as if finalizing the conversation.

Cloud still didn't know what to say. He just continued to shake.

"C'mon, Cloud. Let's get some shuteye, yeah?" Ratcliff began to urge him toward the bunks gently but he wasn't budging.

Kunsel narrowed his eyes at Cloud, but it was more out of inspecting him than anything else. "It's lights-out, Cloud. There's no use getting riled up over this now. Hit the rack, kid."

"Can't you hold out for a little while longer?" Cloud finally said.

Ratcliff and Kunsel gave each other confused glances.

"I already told you," Kunsel said slowly at first. "Two weeks. That's it. Now hit the rack. That's an order."

"Yes, sir," Cloud muttered but saluted Kunsel before turning stiffly and walking to his bed for the night.

"Man, that kid, I swear." Kunsel rubbed his face again with a soft growl. "I feel bad for him, but there's only so much I can do. It's not like I want to do this. There's not even a guarantee that this will work."

Ratcliff watched as Cloud looked as if he had difficulty pulling his blankets back. He could see the boy's arms quivering as he fixed his bed and slipped in with a grimace. Ratcliff really did feel for him, but Kunsel was right. There really was only one person in control of the situation, and that was Graves. There was no point in Cloud getting his emotions worked up over it now. Perhaps Ratcliff had more time to adjust to everything, maybe he was a little bit more prepared to accept the fact that things would turn out this way the moment he spoke with Graves in Kalm. Maybe he was just scared to accept any of it.

"I understand, sir," was all he said, and that was really all he could say.

… To be continued in Chapter Thirty-Eight: Scattered Time.

Ending Author's Note: OKAY. I CAN EXPLAIN. I have a theory that Cloud's mom is a total hippie. Like, flowerchild, motherly, protective yet laid-back hippie woman. She has to be, to name her son 'Cloud' of all things! Such a hippie name, amirite?

Hah. Casey Graves. He hates his name. 8D

'Boot bands' is slang for the blousing straps mentioned in the previous chapter. :D Those smexy brown straps that hold their trousers against their boots!

When Kunsel says the phrase, "He made his own bed, he needs to go lie in it", it's an English-speaking phrase that means that an individual created a bad situation of their own doing, and it's up to that person to deal with the consequences. It's a strange phrase … but there's the explanation in case you were unfamiliar with it.

ALSO! More Malady art! Well, sorta! Not so much Malady, but art of a certain character from Malady! Two certain characters actually! It's of Ratcliff and Pawn. And the artist this time is … me! It was done as a gift for RinaLuffsPokemonBoys. Pawn, who has had a few scenes in Malady and will have more to come, is Rina's OC. We have a roleplay together on a forum that is loosely based off Malady and is set pre-Malady. It doesn't have Zack and Cloud yet, but it has all my OCs (Elici is alive still! lol) and her OCs as well. I know a few people read it! And gasp! It's smutty! First, here's a link to the roleplay if you're interested (delete the spaces!):

http: / s1. zetaboards. com/ CastlingAndPromotion/ topic/ 2667246/ 1/

And here's the picture of Ratcliff and Pawn that I painstakingly drew and digitally painted!:

http: / lagunanojutsu. deviantart. com/ art/ Ratcliff-and-Pawn-171672537

Isn't Pawn the cutest little thing ever? = w =

ALSO! I have a new poll in my profile! Please check it out if you have time. It's just for my own amusement.

Okay, Ziggy, let's shut up now. Thank you to all who read and review! Seriously, I just can't stop myself from writing when I hear such wonderful feedback from everyone. ; w ; Keeps me motivated! Thank you!

So … be here in two weeks, Tuesday, August 10th! Love you aaaalll!