Okay, guys, I'm done with this chapter. It is a bit longer than I expected though. Thanks for your reviews and reading. I really appreciate that.
LastCetra: Forgot to tell that it is also rated for future adult themes. Oh, forgetful me! ;) As for the marks. Thanks for reminding me of that. Tried to use them properly here.
Others, thanks again for your reviews! I've just looked through the first chapter and I am amazed that you managed to read that. There are some strange mistakes. Probably they're there because I got entangled with my files. I hope the second one is better.

So, I think there is some OOCness in this chapter but I don't really know. I'd like to read your opinions. As usual, rated for swearing (this time Cloud can't be helped).
Disclaimer: I do NOT own anything. Only their house...
Lines in italics are Cloud's thoughts.

Odd jealousy or Hope I'll sirvive this week

He inserted a key in a lock and slowly turned it. The door yielded to his push and quietly opened letting him walk inside his house. Cloud pulled his sword behind his back and placed it in a hall's corner. For his surprise there was nobody on the first floor: he skipped through all the rooms that were there. Actually he got used to be welcomed with his wife's warm hug and that question about the way his day had passed. Maybe the fact that he came home earlier as usual played its part too.

Cloud decided not to be slow and go upstairs to check the second floor. He was never too fast making his way up the footsteps but that time his inner voice suggested that he needed to move quickly. In a few, thanks to a soft carpet, quiet steps he reached a door that led to their bedroom. He was about to open it but a voice that was heard on that side made him freeze.

"Oh, stop it, it tickles!" A woman that was inside managed to say this between soft sniggers. But that was not just a woman. That was his wife.

"Who's there with her?" This troublesome thought crossed his mind. For some reason he started to have scrathes in his throat, but he wasn't able to cough. Or just didn't want to do that. Didn't want to interrupt her fun whoever she was with.

"Stop, don't touch my skirt, you don't want me to be caught unawares by Cloud in such form, do you? He has the keys by the way," she laughed again making him feel worse: it seemed to him that the corridor started to turn slowly and his heart was like after making a vast number of squats. Cloud took his hand away from the door at pause and ruffled his hair.

"Do it!.. Just come in and..."

He froze afraid of thinking about the continuation of that thought but it came by itself. Without his invitation.

"...tear that scumbag to pieces"

"No!" he whispered loudly but then immediately covered his mouth with his hand wincing from his own shortsightedness. Cloud didn't know why but he wanted to be sure in everything.

"You can't tear somebody to pieces for no apparent reason, right?"

The man bit his lip to suppress those thoughts but he had no time to understand if it helped or not.

"Okay, that's enough . I want to tidy myself up before he comes…"

Even if she wanted that she didn't have time to finish her line. With one strong kick Cloud opened the door and stormed in. During his effective appearance he could see Aerith pushing somebody to the floor at the left side of their bed that was out of his field of vision. She turned to face him looking scared and … guilty? But Cloud didn't look into her eyes for a long time being afraid to loose all his blaze. He quickly skirted the bed and looked down at the floor.

"So, what the hell are you waiting? Go on, tear this poor kitty to pieces. You called it a scumbag, remember?"

Cloud watched amazed as a small ashy cat curled into a ball in a space between the bed and a bedside-table, trembling with fear.

"What is… that?" he forced some words not taking his eyes off of the cat.

Aerith kneeled on the bed adjusting her skirt and then plumped down on her stomach outstretching her arms to the animal. It accepted her help quickly and jumped in her warm embrace. The woman held the cat and set on the bed crossing her legs and looking attentively at her husband who was dazedly watching this "reunion" scene.

"And what is that?" She as if forgetting about her unsuitable pose, copied his kick snorting angrily after that. "Have you forgotten how to walk through the doors!"

Cloud was silent feeling his cheeks blushing with unwanted redness. It was too hard for him to confess to the real reasons of his behavior or laugh at her attempt to show the way he was acting actually sitting on the bed. Therefore he didn't have choice where to look so he gazed at the cat who was the author of this ridiculous situation. Well, at least it was his opinion.

At first he thought he was dreaming. That was why he pinched his hip as insensibly as he could under Aerith's intent look. But it didn't help: that freaking cat was grinning like a devil keeping his eyes on Cloud. The man couldn't believe it! Then the animal turned away and buried its head in Aerith's chest. Cloud was about to protest and drive away that furry ball but something inside his head stopped him. If he did so that would look like he was jealous.

Aerith sighed and stood up releasing the animal.

"This is my colleague's cat. He will live at our place until she comes back from her vacation. I wanted to ask you if you're agree but now this decision is definitive", she sighed again and after finishing her speech put her arms round her husband's waist. "Don't be mad it's not for long".

She buried her face in Cloud's neck, making him feel tingles down his spine because of her hot breathing.

"How was your day?" Aerith asked in a voice as if she was woken exactly at that moment.

Cloud was silent watching a cheeky expression on the cat's muzzle. The animal pretended to lick it's fur but the man was sure it watched his each move. Cloud closed his eyes tight in fear of being distracted.

"Everything's fine," the man replied parting a lock of her hair and bringing it to his face. "And I have some news for you".

Aerith lifted her head to look into his blue eyes.

"Tell me then".

He nodded slowly bending forward to her face. But the thing he was expecting wasn't destined to happen. He felt something or, rather, somebody rubbing against his leg with a loud purr. Aerith giggled and broke their embrace, taking the cat in her arms. Cloud cursed mentally. The woman put the cat's head on her shoulder as if holding a baby. The animal continued to purr while she was turning her back to Cloud and then showed its triumphant grin again.

"Stupid cat declared war," Cloud muttered under his breath clenching and unclenching his fists to reduce the tension.

"Did you say something?" his wife asked him facing him abruptly. He shook his head. "Fine. He is hungry, I think, so I'm going downstairs to cook something. Do you think he likes vegetables?.. Don't mind, we'll soon know that. When you're ready join me in the kitchen so you can tell me your news.

With these words she disappeared from his sight humming something.

"You won't like them," Cloud said when she couldn't hear it.

He took off his sleeveless polo-neck shirt unhitching several straps that were holding his armor and put it in a wardrobe. His job was not the safest in the world but it was giving him some feeling of freedom which he had lost after putting a ring on her finger. Frankly speaking there had been much more freedom before that delivery service opened its departments in other cities but his family life had been suffering from that: Aerith used to stay awake during the nights the other half of the bed was empty. His wife had been very touchy and vulnerable because of that but she used to try hiding that inside herself. But after the company had enlarged everything turned out to be normal.

Washing his face with cold water and changing the pants into his domestic ones he finally decided to go downstairs. He was met with another shocking scene. Aerith was sending pieces of cut fish right into the cat's mouth with a blissful expression on her face. The animal was licking its lips after eating each piece. Something inside Cloud started to boil. He got used to a fact that she could look only at him with that eyes.

He coughed loudly, making the woman pay her attention to him, and sat on a chair near her.

"Are you hungry?" She asked playing with his hair on the back of his head with her free hand without taking eyes off of the cat. Cloud closed his eyes feeling tingles down his spine again.

"I'm taking part in a motorcycle racing competition," he blurted out the first thing that was on his mind. The thing he was going to tell her but in a bit another way.

Cloud heard a piece of fish falling on the table.

His little soles made deep footprints on the ground but he tried to pretend he didn't notice that. He had his mother's errand and he had to accomplish it. The thunder burst somewhere behind his back and the rain began to pour with a new strength making his humid hair adhere to his face. He held several coins in one hand and a package of milk in another firmer.

He stopped at an enormous pool and looked at his reflection. There was ruddiness on his thin cheeks and seeing it made Cloud smile. He sat on the ground at took his boots off. Feeling the cold in his feet he started to run around the pool to get warm, putting a package aside before that. The rain was beating down on his face but it was only making him feel better. Cloud looked at his reflection again. The ruddiness became brighter and more visible.

But he didn't have a lot of time to play. His mother was waiting for him at home: she needed the milk to make a pie which both Cloud and his father loved so much. The boy was glad that his mother finally agreed to bake it.

Cloud plunged his feet into the water by turns to wash away some mud and then put on his boots. Taking the package he decided to have a look at his favorite place: a little glade on a rock not far away from his house. He liked to sit there for hours watching the landscapes that were opening up and dreaming about something.


He was nearly at the glade but suddenly the boy heard unfamiliar voices.

"Watch me. I'll throw this stone as far as that rock," some definitely boy's voice said in a soft but a bit conceited tone.

Cloud was willing to know who had found his secret place. If it was any other day he would just go away, but maybe that feeling of the rain of his face was encouraging him. That was why without hesitating he made the rest of his way to the glade to see a boy standing on an edge of that rock. He had the same spiky hair as Cloud, thought it was black, and the same deep blue eyes. At first Cloud thought he was looking at an older self with another color of hair. But then something in that boy's features made this idea disappear.

"Eh?... Who are you!" The stranger asked suspiciously, stepping aside from the cliff.

"Zack, that's not the way to ask a person's name!" Suddenly Cloud noticed a girl, the one that Zack was addressing to when he was going to throw that stone. She was as wet as both boys. Her long chestnut hair was hanging freely, big eyes were watching Cloud with interest, a seedy pink dress had the prints of the ground on it. "What is your name? I'm Aerith".

She extended her hand and he shook it uncertainly.

"Cloud", he informed with a short nod being surprised with a fact that her hand was warm in such weather.

Zack sighed with a smile and approached the boy.

"Sorry for snapping at you. My name…"

But Cloud wasn't able to hear his name from his mouth. The boy felt the world around him dissolving as if somebody had turned off the sound, as if he had been launched as a top. He began to shake, then tried to stand still but failed. It seemed to him that "somebody" was playing with a control console of that world. The only thing he managed to hear was a sudden:

"Aerith!"

And then it was dark.

Read and review, as always! Hope you liked it.