Laguna and Kyros

As expected, Cloud recovered very quickly. Sephiroth was happy, Angel too, and both were passing a lot of time in his arms… Zack and Sky almost started to feel jealous, but they already knew that their brother couldn't help himself. The insecurity always affected him a lot. It was the late evening, now, and they were all but Zack, who was at the hospital again, watching a movie.

Sephiroth had an arm passed around his mate's waist, and since few minutes he could tell Cloud wasn't listening to the TV anymore. The blond had let his head fall on the silver haired man's shoulder, his blue eyes closed and his breath even. Angel was next to him on the couch while Sky was munching some popcorn on the floor. The blanket was tightened around the sleeping blond.

- It's relaxing to have him around again, don't you think, dad?

- Yes, Angel. He always had this effect on me…

- Is he sleeping, yet?, asked Sky.

Sephiroth nodded, but otherwise didn't move in fear of waking up Cloud.

********

Maybe three weeks later, though, while Zack had finally gotten a day off, the blond had a harsh relapse that forced him to keep the bed until noon, when he gathered enough strength to walk up to the kitchen and eat a small portion of soup. By the week-end they had him wired again to a cardiac monitor. Zack was extremely worried, it didn't worsened, but it didn't get better neither, and the doctor feared it was an early sign of another attack. However, Cloud was always better when he had slept it off, and in the afternoon was generally whining to go out. It was during one of their daily walk that Sephiroth and Cloud met Kyros and Laguna. The blond immediately liked them, so when they invited the now most famous couple in the world to a small party, Cloud was overjoyed. For the first time he would enter the Presidential Palace.

*********

- Cloud, you shouldn't drink too much, and you know that you can't handle more than one or two drinks usually, warned Sephiroth.

- C'mon, Seph… I said I was okay, and besides, we aren't a great competition right now… Laguna already had one half of a tequila bottle and we're both to only two shots of our! To this rate, they'll beat us in less than five minutes!

- Then, let me handle it. You pour, I drink.

Both Kyros and Laguna suddenly turned their head toward Sephiroth as the blond poured him his third shot he downed without regrets. And another, another… Kyros resumed in pouring the liquor into the President's glass and soon both pourer were down to the bottom, but their drinkers were out of commission. Cloud and Kyros gulped down the few inches left, but the lean fighter was faster and Cloud had to give them the victory.

- That waz a cloz'one! Did m'best, though…, slurred Cloud, wanna have reeeevenge!

But he passed out before he could ever get a chance for his so-called revenge. Kyros laughed at first, then sulked when he realised he would have to put /three/ drunk men into bed tonight. He really was too good at that game…

The next morning, though, when he came back into the guest room, determined to scold the trio (because he had decided to left Laguna on the couch), Kyros was shoved outside by Laguna, who just ran pass him and disappeared into the corridors. The lean fighter entered quietly the room, which he found totally barren. Barren at first, because when he circled the bed, he saw Sephiroth kneeled on the floor near Cloud. The blond was curled into a tight foetal ball, and seemed in great pain.

- I told you not to do this, he heard Sephiroth say, just don't move, okay? I'll put you back on the bed.

- I'll help you, Kyros replied, taking hold of Cloud's leg and lifting him, Is Laguna off to get Geiser?

Both men gently laid the blond on the mattress.

- The doctor? Yes, I think that was his name… Cloud woke up very unwell this morning, and I fear it is a relapse from his Mako poisoning. It has happened off and on since his recovery, and he was often telling me that the pain was always there. Cloud? Cloud can you talk to me a little?

- It hurts, hurts, hurts!!!, he cried, It's worst than the last time!!!

- Whad iz going on here?

The doctor had a long, violet robe and a red and white striped umbrella, it seemed, around his neck. In away he was reminding Sephiroth of Hojo, with his black hair and glasses, but it was the only reason, for the former mad professor would never dress up as a clown… Shaking away those thoughts (and the image of Hojo) he helped Geiser with his examination. But after one hour, Cloud still in the same state, they decided to call Zack.

********

Seifer flexed his arm contentedly. After three weeks of wearing a cast, it has lost strength and muscular mass, but he was happy to have it off. Squall was waiting for him outside the hospital, calling his father on his PHS. The silver haired doctor took hold of Seifer's wrist, poking certain spots to test the brake line. To see the blond's face, it was still sensitive.

- Just be careful, okay? I suggest you to start to re use your arm to a normal use for a week, then you can began to train it with weights.

The tall blond nodded, brushing the remnants of plaster on his arm, thanking Zack for his services. Even if they had returned to Balamb Garden, Seifer wanted to come back in Esthar to have it removed, because the doctor wasn't freaking him out. Kadowaki had that bad habit of being too rough with her patients, especially with him. He was putting back his long grey trenchcoat when Squall barged in, looking worried.

- Doctor Valentine? I have a message for you; Your father Cloud is not going very well, they are at the Presidential Palace. Sephiroth is requesting you as soon as possible.

- I'm off, right now, he said, my shift is over since two hours already. Your boyfriend was my last patient for today. Were you planning on visiting your father?

- Yeah, we will take you with us.

- I just have to gather my stuff, give me two minutes and I'll be down.

Both young men nodded and walked out of the hospital. They left minutes later, arriving at the Palace with Zack who bumped into Laguna. The doctor was so worried he was almost running. He was carrying his medical bag, not wanting to take any chances. The President lead him to the guest room, where Sephiroth, Kyros and Geiser were taking care of Cloud. The poor blond was lying on his side, unmoving, eyes glazed with pain.

- He's hurt, Zack, and he stopped talking to me half an hour ago, Sephiroth said when he saw his son.

- Okay… It's his abdomen, right? And you gave him anything?

- No. He does not want to swallow anything. You see him? I don't know what he has…

- I will give him a shot after taking a blood sample. I think it might be a bacteria's doing, or a virus, though he doesn't seem to have all the symptoms of an infection. So if it's not that, it can be the Mako or something more serious. But I don't want to pronounce myself until I have the result of the blood test, so no, I can't tell you what he has yet.

Kyros burst out laughing. He had stopped counting the number of times he had heard the silver haired man ask 'what does he has?'. His son really knew him well, for Sephiroth was gaping in a desperate manner at him. The doctor was quick, (took care of not showing the syringes to his father) and in no time he had a blood sample in hand and was preparing a shot of painkiller.

- What are you giving him?

- Morphine. You know how responsive he is, in no time he'll be sleeping like a ba… a log. And I think I'll take this sample to the lab immediately myself, he answered, his eyes narrowing.

- Why are you looking at me like that? It's not my fault he's like that!

- It may be, if it's what I think it is, daddy, you're in for a ride, I can tell you. Where are my brothers?

- Home, but what are you talking about!?! Do you know-

- Later. Gotta go.

And then he left, passing by Seifer and Squall. Both of them heard him mutter 'sex fiend' under his breath, obviously not directed toward them. Laguna smiled, uneasy, and scratched the back of his neck.

- What is going on? Asked Squall

- I don't have the slightest idea!

- … Whatever. I took a month of vacations from the Garden, so we will stay here for a while. Can we have a room?

- Of course!, cheered the President, Kyros! Kyros! Can you go and prepare Squall's room? Oh Seifer! They removed your cast? That's great! It looks frail, though…

Both rolled their eyes as Laguna continued his chit-chat… They knew they couldn't stop him, anyway. Squall and Seifer would have to discover what was going on at the same moment than everyone, it seemed. Until then, all they could do was to wait.

Some hours later, though, Zack, Sky, Angel, Adrian and a crowd from medical staff were gathered around Maye, the lab technician of Esthar's hospital. So far, the blood sample wasn't very useful, but when the nurse mixed it with another liquid, put a drop on a filter paper and added a pink reactive… the drop turned blue. Grinning madly, the scientist, proud of her sudden flash, turned toward the three brothers.

- Maye, shakily said Sky, tell me it's not…

- Positive!

- I'm going to kill them both! Exclaimed Zack

- Hey! I want to see that! Called Adrian, In thirty years it's the most unusual thing I've ever seen!

- How are we going to tell them the news…?

End

Author's notes

I know… I'm evil!!! Mwahahahahahaahahahaa!!!! *got knocked off by Sephiroth*

Sephiroth: PMS, those thing are killers… Please don't mind her, usually Cloud lock her up in the closet, I guess she just escaped… ESCAPED???? Cloud!!!!! *runs off to release Cloud from the said closet*

*Twitching* Killer cliffies!!! Mwahahaha! Bishies good, cliffhangers baaaaaaaad!

See ya in: Cold shower