It's Cold Outside
[I just got this lovely idea for a fluffy fanfiction ^.^ Jisuse-san is gonna hate me for this greatly. Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Final
Fantasy 7 or SquareSoft for that matter]
Cloud sighed to himself, keeping his head down and his eyes shadowed under his SOLDIER helmet. He heard Zack talking with the General and he didn't want to get into trouble by eavesdropping; one of the reasons being that he didn't feel too well. There they were, in the middle of an open field and it was nearing the edge of winter. They were apparently heading to a rendezvous point so they could be transported to Nibelheim with the other SOLDIER trainees. He kept his dark eyes towards the frost covered ground and pulled up the collar of his uniform.
"Strife!" Sephiroth said, turning back to glance at him. "Did you hear what I said?"
Yet Cloud didn't hear what the General said. His body was wracked with chills and he shivered visibly, walking right into Sephiroth. He felt Sephiroth tense and the spiky blonde boy took a few steps back, looking up at him.
"...I-I'm... s-sorry, general, sir..." He apologized, letting his eyes fall back down at the cold dirt.
Sephiroth was about to reply when a Grand Dragon stepped out from the forest, rearing its head back and shooting a pillar of scorching flames into the air. He drew out his masamune, taking a short glance towards Cloud.
"Sit out in this one, Strife." He said warily, turning towards the Grand Dragon that was padding towards them.
Zack unsheathed his buster sword and shook a hand at Cloud. "Hey there, spiky. You heard what the General said. We can handle it."
Cloud shook his head and unsheathed his own blade, still shivering uncontrollably. "I'm... I'm alright... just a little... a little cold..."
Zack shook his head and walked over to Cloud, putting his hand on the other's shoulder while Sephiroth finished off the Grand Dragon in one smooth and powerful slash.
"Jeeze, you're ice cold." Zack said, feeling the side of Cloud's face with a partially gloved hand. "Hey Seph, I think we have a problem here."
The sword slipped out of Cloud's cold hands and he stumbled forward half a step, right into Zack.
"Hey, spiky, don't go dying on us okay?" Zack said, holding his friend up. "...Cloud... don't go to sleep now. CLOUD! HEY!"
Zack looked back at Sephiroth quickly. "We gotta get him warmed up, Seph. Otherwise he'll sleep and won't wake up."
Sephiroth sheathed his masamune and walked over to Zack, holding his hands out. "I'll carry him. I know of a place that is a bit further up to stay the night, I suppose. A storm is also approaching so it would be best if we retreated there."
The raven haired SOLDIER gently passed Cloud to the General and picked up the dropped weapon. Sephiroth held Cloud with one arm under his knees and one arm around his upper back, and walked towards the forest area where the dragon had emerged just before. He scanned the area with his mako colored eyes and finally found what he was looking for; a cabin tucked away behind a few trees and it was kept up nicely. He nodded towards the door and Zack opened it, letting the General carry the unconscious boy inside. Sephiroth carefully set Cloud on the bed and pulled the blanket up to his chin.
"He's still trembling... his lips may be turning blue as well." He said to Zack, who was starting up a fire in the hearth.
Zack looked up from his work and frowned a bit. "Now I'm feelin guilty for not asking him what was wrong."
Sephiroth shook his head slowly and grabbed another blanket. "He didn't layer enough. He was warned that it would be extremely cold outside. Hrm... he's too far away from the fire."
With that, Sephiroth wrapped the blanket around Cloud and carried him closer to the fire, sitting down and holding the still comatose blonde. Zack grabbed a few more blankets and handed a pillow over for Cloud.
"Who knew that he'd get so cold so fast? I mean, I'm fine and I'm still wearing a short sleeved shirt." Zack said, making a make-shift bed on the floor for Cloud.
Sephiroth set him down then crossed his arms. "You've had much more experience with these conditions. He still needs more time to adjust to it."
The two sat in silence for the remainder of the evening and it soon reached dark, bringing a ruthless snowstorm with it. The windows shuddered and the wind howled outside, whipping small snow flakes around dangerously. Zack rubbed his arms for a moment then continued to poke the fire with a larger stick, lightly blowing on the embers.
"Okay, it's safe to say that I'm starting to get cold." He said, crossing his arms again for warmth. "Hey... is Cloud even breathing?"
Sephiroth blinked and looked down at Cloud, his back stiffening immediately. "Damn it, his lips are blue."
Zack jumped forward and patted Cloud's face. "Come on, Spiky. I know you're just sleeping. Come on... wake up."
Cloud's eyelids flickered slightly and he rolled his head to the side, facing the fire.
"Cloud... come on. Look at me for a sec." Zack put both of his hands on Cloud's face. "His body temperature is too low! Come on, Cloud! Wake up!"
Cloud's eyes flickered again and opened slowly, only for them to roll to the back of his head a moment after. Zack side-glanced at the fire and reloaded it with more dry kindling, then looked back at Sephiroth.
"I can't do much more for the fire and Cloud's fading too fast." He said slowly, looking back down at him.
Sephiroth uncrossed his arms and rested his hands on his knees. "I have a suggestion but it will be very awkward. Breathe a word to anyone about it and I swear I'll put you through hell during the next training session."
Zack gave Sephiroth a quizzical look and puts his hands up defensively. "Ah, okay. I got it. Not a word, captain."
Sephiroth took the remaining blankets that were folded up in the corner and lay one on the ground. "If the fire goes out, we're going to have to keep him warm. But remember, no funny stuff or else."
"I know, I know!" Said Zack, taking one of the blankets and covering himself with it. "Not a word."
The two carefully moved Cloud and his make-shift bed to the center of the blanket and took one side each, lying down beside him.
After a few moments of silence and the fire almost going out completely, Zack spoke out. "... You know, Cloud is going have a lot of questions if he wakes up before us."
"..." Sephiroth reached over and flicked Zack's face. "Not a word."
"Ow!" Zack shook a fist in a friendly manner and pulled the blanket that was covering him, over to Cloud and Sephiroth.
Almost a few hours later, in the middle of the night, Cloud shifted slightly, feeling the weight change on each side of him. He opened his eyes half-way, still feeling drowsy and looked on either sides of him. Was he imagining it? He was in between the two sleeping forms of the General and a SOLDIER. He looked up at the dark ceiling until he fell asleep again, being held protectively with an arm from Sephiroth and Zack.
Early next morning, Sephiroth awoke, only to find that Zack was no where to be found. He was going to sit up and he heard a shushing sound.
"Shh. You'll wake him." Said Zack, sitting right behind them, grinning like a fox and resting his hand on Cloud's head.
Sephiroth raised an eyebrow and looked down at Cloud. The blonde boy was huddled close to the general, who in turn had an arm around him.
Zack lightly scratched Cloud's hair in a caring matter. "You know, I think he woke up in the middle of the night. He was moving."
Sephiroth sat up slowly, being very careful not to wake up the sleeping Cloud. "One word... and you're going to get hurt very, very badly..."
Zack put a finger to his lips and only smirked, nodding towards Cloud.
END
[xD I thought this was so cuuuuute.... what did you readers think, hm?]
[I just got this lovely idea for a fluffy fanfiction ^.^ Jisuse-san is gonna hate me for this greatly. Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Final
Fantasy 7 or SquareSoft for that matter]
Cloud sighed to himself, keeping his head down and his eyes shadowed under his SOLDIER helmet. He heard Zack talking with the General and he didn't want to get into trouble by eavesdropping; one of the reasons being that he didn't feel too well. There they were, in the middle of an open field and it was nearing the edge of winter. They were apparently heading to a rendezvous point so they could be transported to Nibelheim with the other SOLDIER trainees. He kept his dark eyes towards the frost covered ground and pulled up the collar of his uniform.
"Strife!" Sephiroth said, turning back to glance at him. "Did you hear what I said?"
Yet Cloud didn't hear what the General said. His body was wracked with chills and he shivered visibly, walking right into Sephiroth. He felt Sephiroth tense and the spiky blonde boy took a few steps back, looking up at him.
"...I-I'm... s-sorry, general, sir..." He apologized, letting his eyes fall back down at the cold dirt.
Sephiroth was about to reply when a Grand Dragon stepped out from the forest, rearing its head back and shooting a pillar of scorching flames into the air. He drew out his masamune, taking a short glance towards Cloud.
"Sit out in this one, Strife." He said warily, turning towards the Grand Dragon that was padding towards them.
Zack unsheathed his buster sword and shook a hand at Cloud. "Hey there, spiky. You heard what the General said. We can handle it."
Cloud shook his head and unsheathed his own blade, still shivering uncontrollably. "I'm... I'm alright... just a little... a little cold..."
Zack shook his head and walked over to Cloud, putting his hand on the other's shoulder while Sephiroth finished off the Grand Dragon in one smooth and powerful slash.
"Jeeze, you're ice cold." Zack said, feeling the side of Cloud's face with a partially gloved hand. "Hey Seph, I think we have a problem here."
The sword slipped out of Cloud's cold hands and he stumbled forward half a step, right into Zack.
"Hey, spiky, don't go dying on us okay?" Zack said, holding his friend up. "...Cloud... don't go to sleep now. CLOUD! HEY!"
Zack looked back at Sephiroth quickly. "We gotta get him warmed up, Seph. Otherwise he'll sleep and won't wake up."
Sephiroth sheathed his masamune and walked over to Zack, holding his hands out. "I'll carry him. I know of a place that is a bit further up to stay the night, I suppose. A storm is also approaching so it would be best if we retreated there."
The raven haired SOLDIER gently passed Cloud to the General and picked up the dropped weapon. Sephiroth held Cloud with one arm under his knees and one arm around his upper back, and walked towards the forest area where the dragon had emerged just before. He scanned the area with his mako colored eyes and finally found what he was looking for; a cabin tucked away behind a few trees and it was kept up nicely. He nodded towards the door and Zack opened it, letting the General carry the unconscious boy inside. Sephiroth carefully set Cloud on the bed and pulled the blanket up to his chin.
"He's still trembling... his lips may be turning blue as well." He said to Zack, who was starting up a fire in the hearth.
Zack looked up from his work and frowned a bit. "Now I'm feelin guilty for not asking him what was wrong."
Sephiroth shook his head slowly and grabbed another blanket. "He didn't layer enough. He was warned that it would be extremely cold outside. Hrm... he's too far away from the fire."
With that, Sephiroth wrapped the blanket around Cloud and carried him closer to the fire, sitting down and holding the still comatose blonde. Zack grabbed a few more blankets and handed a pillow over for Cloud.
"Who knew that he'd get so cold so fast? I mean, I'm fine and I'm still wearing a short sleeved shirt." Zack said, making a make-shift bed on the floor for Cloud.
Sephiroth set him down then crossed his arms. "You've had much more experience with these conditions. He still needs more time to adjust to it."
The two sat in silence for the remainder of the evening and it soon reached dark, bringing a ruthless snowstorm with it. The windows shuddered and the wind howled outside, whipping small snow flakes around dangerously. Zack rubbed his arms for a moment then continued to poke the fire with a larger stick, lightly blowing on the embers.
"Okay, it's safe to say that I'm starting to get cold." He said, crossing his arms again for warmth. "Hey... is Cloud even breathing?"
Sephiroth blinked and looked down at Cloud, his back stiffening immediately. "Damn it, his lips are blue."
Zack jumped forward and patted Cloud's face. "Come on, Spiky. I know you're just sleeping. Come on... wake up."
Cloud's eyelids flickered slightly and he rolled his head to the side, facing the fire.
"Cloud... come on. Look at me for a sec." Zack put both of his hands on Cloud's face. "His body temperature is too low! Come on, Cloud! Wake up!"
Cloud's eyes flickered again and opened slowly, only for them to roll to the back of his head a moment after. Zack side-glanced at the fire and reloaded it with more dry kindling, then looked back at Sephiroth.
"I can't do much more for the fire and Cloud's fading too fast." He said slowly, looking back down at him.
Sephiroth uncrossed his arms and rested his hands on his knees. "I have a suggestion but it will be very awkward. Breathe a word to anyone about it and I swear I'll put you through hell during the next training session."
Zack gave Sephiroth a quizzical look and puts his hands up defensively. "Ah, okay. I got it. Not a word, captain."
Sephiroth took the remaining blankets that were folded up in the corner and lay one on the ground. "If the fire goes out, we're going to have to keep him warm. But remember, no funny stuff or else."
"I know, I know!" Said Zack, taking one of the blankets and covering himself with it. "Not a word."
The two carefully moved Cloud and his make-shift bed to the center of the blanket and took one side each, lying down beside him.
After a few moments of silence and the fire almost going out completely, Zack spoke out. "... You know, Cloud is going have a lot of questions if he wakes up before us."
"..." Sephiroth reached over and flicked Zack's face. "Not a word."
"Ow!" Zack shook a fist in a friendly manner and pulled the blanket that was covering him, over to Cloud and Sephiroth.
Almost a few hours later, in the middle of the night, Cloud shifted slightly, feeling the weight change on each side of him. He opened his eyes half-way, still feeling drowsy and looked on either sides of him. Was he imagining it? He was in between the two sleeping forms of the General and a SOLDIER. He looked up at the dark ceiling until he fell asleep again, being held protectively with an arm from Sephiroth and Zack.
Early next morning, Sephiroth awoke, only to find that Zack was no where to be found. He was going to sit up and he heard a shushing sound.
"Shh. You'll wake him." Said Zack, sitting right behind them, grinning like a fox and resting his hand on Cloud's head.
Sephiroth raised an eyebrow and looked down at Cloud. The blonde boy was huddled close to the general, who in turn had an arm around him.
Zack lightly scratched Cloud's hair in a caring matter. "You know, I think he woke up in the middle of the night. He was moving."
Sephiroth sat up slowly, being very careful not to wake up the sleeping Cloud. "One word... and you're going to get hurt very, very badly..."
Zack put a finger to his lips and only smirked, nodding towards Cloud.
END
[xD I thought this was so cuuuuute.... what did you readers think, hm?]