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Aaaaaaand….. fic time!

Chapter Four

"Wanna come live with me?"

Cloud blinked, suddenly far too aware of Zack's hand wrapped around his and the violet eyes fixed on his own. "I... uh..." he slipped his hand out of his tutor's grip, not noticing the disappointment in the raven haired man's eyes, "Why?"

"Why not? You're a good housekeeper. And it'd be good for you too, all the textbooks you need will be there, and if you get stuck, you don't have to wait for our next lesson, ne?" Nice going Roughknight, now you're just making excuses...

"I guess..." Cloud answered, mulling it over. It would be a good idea, everything he'd need in reach, and... company? It was rather lonely in his apartment, it would be nice to have a roommate, and Zack was a First Class SOLDIER, surely his place would be much better than this Midgar Sector Four city centre multi-storey apartment. "Okay."

"Great!" Zack cried happily, practically bouncing up and down with excitement. He grabbed Cloud in a friendly bear hug, laughing cheerfully and ruffling Cloud's hair playfully. He pulled away, his arms still locked around the blonde's waist, looking down into startled blue eyes, "Want help to pack?"

Cloud's wide, baby blue eyes blinked once, twice, even three times before Zack's words registered in his head, his mind turning this way and that trying to figure out why the feeling of being held close to the older man by those powerful yet so incredibly gentle arms was making his heart beat so dammed fast.

"Now?"

"Why put off until tomorrow what you can do today?" Zack told him with a smile, a warm smile that made Cloud's heart melt, made his knees feel weak. He wondered how long it would be before they gave way and he just fell completely into Zack's embrace...

"Can your car take all my stuff?" he asked, trying his hardest not to sound too breathless.

"It'll take a few trips here and back, but we can get it done before it gets too late if we start now." Either Cloud was imagining things, or the circle of Zack's arms tightened a little.

"O-Okay... I don't see why not..."

Zack let out a whoop and pressed himself closer to the blonde. The trouble was, the boy was completely unprepared for it, and ended up falling over onto his back. Worse still, Zack was intent on hugging the life out of his young pupil, and had no intention of letting go, and thus ended up falling directly on top of Cloud, almost smothering the boy's slight body with his own muscular one, knocking the wind out of him.

"Oh God... Sorry Cloud!" Zack cried, lifting himself up off the boy a little but not totally, positioned over the boy on all fours. "You okay?"

"Yeah..." Cloud breathed, looking up into Zack's Mako violet eyes as the man made himself more comfortable, leaning back and sitting on Cloud's thighs.

"Oh good, worried that I'd crushed you, you don't look too... err..."

"Strong?"

Zack shook his head violently, "No! That's not what I meant!"

Cloud propped himself up on his elbows, "It's okay, you can say it. I know I don't look like much..." he said, his hair falling into his eyes as he looked away.

Zack shook his head and reached out, curling the stray strands of blonde hair behind the boy's ear, causing him to look up "It doesn't matter how you look. I know you've got potential."

Cloud nodded, his cheeks warming a little at Zack's touch. He looked away again, hoping to hide his red cheeks from his tutor. Why was he blushing anyway? He wasn't sure, he just hoped that Zack wouldn't read it the way he would if he were in the SOLDIER's position.

Thankfully for Cloud, Zack sensed his discomfort and was quick to get to his feet, offering the blonde his hand and pulling him up gently.

Zack scratched the back of his neck almost nervously, "Heh, sorry 'bout that, get carried away sometimes. See? I'm just a big kid at heart."

Cloud chuckled behind his hand, "Do they encourage that kind of attitude at ShinRa?"

"Hell no! But I live to break rules!" he grinned, nervousness had taken a one-way trip to Wutai, "Rebel is my middle name!"

Cloud thought about it for a while, rubbing his chin, "Zack Rebel Roughknight?"

Zack couldn't help but laugh, he knew the boy was being sarcastic, but he just looked so damn cute, "Heh, it's 'Yoru', actually."

Cloud blinked, "Really?" he frowned, thinking evidently, "Doesn't that mean 'night'? Zack Night Roughknight? Sounds weird..."

Zack nodded, "That's why it's 'Yoru' and not 'night'. Silly."

"...But why? Why 'night'?... Weird..." he looked up, eyes sparkling, "Is it because you're weird?"

Zack cuffed him over the back of his head playfully, "Hey! Don't get cocky just cuz you're gonna be living with a First Class SOLDIER! And it's because of my hair, baka!"

Cloud blushed, laughing a little, "Sorry, couldn't help it."

Zack smiled at him, "Well, we gonna get this stuff of yours?"

Cloud nodded, finding that the idea of spending a lot more time with Zack more appealing by the minute.

XXXXXX

Packing took decidedly longer than they thought. For starters, Zack never expected Cloud to have so much stuff! Then there was the problem of sorting the blonde's things so that they were easily unpacked, and, of course, Zack couldn't help but poke fun at his student for some of the things the boy owned, like a pair of baby blue pyjamas decorated with roller-skating chocobos, or the pair of moogle socks, or the stuffed chocobo that sat on Cloud's bed. (Which the blonde snatched from his tutor and hugged tightly to himself, telling the older man that the plush yellow bird was a birthday present from his grandmother when he turned three years old.)

It took Zack Four trips in total, and while he was taking some of the stuff back to his home on the outskirts of Sector Three, Cloud would continue packing his things, glad that Zack couldn't distract him from his task, he found it strange that something could take longer to do with two people rather than one...

Cloud got to his feet with a sigh and whipped his brow on his palm. He placed his hands on his hips, surveying his apartment. True, it was never the largest of accommodation, but with all his stuff out the way, it looked so... well, empty.

"Yo! I'm back! You done?"

Cloud nodded, not even turning around, unsure at the sudden melancholy that came over him then, perhaps it was the fact that he'd just settled down, and now he was on the move again. Oh well.

Zack blinked at him, "You okay?"

"Mm-hmm..." Cloud mumbled lamely, nodding before turning around.

Zack gave him another one of his winning smiles, "Come on. We should be going."

Cloud nodded as Zack draped his arm over the young blonde's shoulders, guiding him outside to the car. He got into the driver's side as Cloud slipped in next to him, starting up the engine and pulling away from the apartment block.

Zack switched on the radio as he manuvered his crimson vehicle through the Midgar streets, wincing before he quickly changed the channel. After a few moments of playing with the stereo, he made a disgruntled sound and gave up, "You find something Cloud. There's CDs there too."

Cloud nodded and picked a CD from Zack's collection, "Is this the live version?"

Zack looked over at him for a moment, "Huh? Oh, yeah. Great band eh?"

Cloud nodded, "Yeah, their pretty cool. Not the kinda stuff I usually listen too, but I like them." the boy answered, placing the CD in the player and pressing play.

"No? What kind of stuff do you like?"

Cloud shrugged, "Punk rock, mainly."

Zack grinned, "Heh, should've guessed really. Your hair style and half the clothes you have kinda give you away."

"That's the idea isn't it?"

Zack smiled and turned his attention back to the road. Cloud watched in wonder as the scenery began to change from grey apartment blocks to quiet suburbs, some grass and trees had even been planted along the sidewalk. Zack turned into a secluded area on the outskirts of the area, parking his car in front of the garage at the end of a long, white gravelled driveway. Cloud blinked. Flowers? He never pictured Zack as the gardening type, but the lawn was neatly cut and a few plant pots full of brightly coloured flowers were dotted along its edge.

"Nice place..." Cloud said quietly.

Zack grinned, "You like? Took long enough to build it."

Cloud's eyes widened as he looked over at his tutor, "You built it?"

Zack shrugged, "Well, I designed it, had some SOLDIER buddies help build it though. Pretty neat isn't it?"

Cloud nodded vaguely, staring at the large single storied house in awe.

Zack continued to grin and poked the young blonde in the side, "C'mon, most you're stuff's already unpacked, just the stuff still in the car left, I'll show you around your new home too." and he patted the boy's head a couple times before getting out of the car. Cloud sat silent for a minute. On the way here, he never considered it that way, but the way Zack said it made it sound so completely perfect and natural.

Home.

End of chappie four! always hungry for your reviews!