Disclaimer: Like always, I own not a thing. Stupid lawyers.
Comments: Well because I can keep my hands away from the keys, which is illegal for me to do in some countries, here is chapter 4 straight from the insane asylum; fangirl rehab unit! Just kidding. Sorry for the lack of updates. Hopefully this will feed your hunger for fanfiction. Just some notes; the characters might be OOC because they are still kids in this. Just in case you hadn't realized this. Squall is not an emo jerk because the events of FFVIII are nonexistentin this fic. Also, Rinoa, Yuffie, and Aerith's situation will be get better in this and the next chapter.
The group reached the house panting heavily, some more than others.
"Hol-y crap... how can... you guys... run so fast?" Yuffie managed to ask.
"We... have longer legs," Aerith replied, rubbing one side. Cloud, who saw her, said,
"Raise your arm. It'll make the cramps go away." The girl nodded and did what was suggested.
"Well since we're all still alive, does anyone have the time?" Squall asked. Rinoa looked at her watch.
"It's 5:39."
"New record!" Yuffie said, jumping up in the air.
"What happened to you being out of breath for once?" Squall asked.
"All better!" she giggled, flashing him the peace sign. Thats when two people emerged from the house.
"Mom, Dad, sorry we weren't on time. We sort of didn't have a watch," Aerith apologized.
"It's not like a watch would have helped. You all are always late," Ifalna commented, smiling.
"You're forgiven, as always. You all are lucky that dinner was later than expected. Now get inside and wash up." Gast smiled as he said this. The others bolted inside, Gast following them in to make sure they didn't destroy anything, but Aerith stayed behind to coax Cloud, the ever shy, to go inside. Ifalna stopped them on their way in.
"So this is the poor boy that was kidnapped by my daughter and her friends today," she said cheerily.
"You're pretty cute, kid. Whats your name? My husband never mentioned it," Ifalna continued. Poor Cloud was reduced to blushing.
"Mo-om!" Aerith sighed. "Do you always have to flirt with every boy that crosses the threshold of our house?"
"You never complained before. Does this mean that you like him a little more than the others?" Ifalna asked, a teasing smile on her lips.
"Mother!" Aerith exclaimed, her blush giving herself away. The girl had already developed a small crush on the blonde boy. Thankfully for her, Cloud had not seen the blush. He was too busy fighting and hiding his own.
"His name is Cloud Strife, Mom," Aerith answered, recovering quicker than the boy next to her.
"Well, Cloud," Ifalna started, saying his name as though she was tasting something new, "I'll just explain a few things to you. Tonight you are to go home with Squall. His parents are Laguna and Raine Loire and he has an older sister named Ellone. Each day, we parents trade off cooking dinner for you guys. Tomorrow is Squall's parent's turn. Aerith will explain the rest. Now I have to make sure everything inside is okay." Ifalna went inside when she finished. Aerith turned to Cloud.
"I'm sorry. She does that with all my friends when they first come over. She likes you, you know. I haven't decided whats worse yet; if she likes someone or not." Cloud paled. Aerith giggled.
"Come on. My mom is the best cook around and I'm hungry," Aerith announced, dragging Cloud inside.
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Dinner was a whirlwind of activity. The kitchen table was set up buffet style with all the food set up around it. When the teens served themselves, they went to the dining room table, where they attacked the food.
"Getting fat, Yuffie?" Squall teased the girl who was eating more than even him.
"Not at all. I just don't sit on my butt all day like you do, old man," Yuffie retorted through a mouth full of potatoes.
"Yuffie, don't talk with your mouth full," Ifalna, Gast, and Aerith scolded simultaneously. Cloud and Squall burst out laughing, the others soon joining. When the room calmed somewhat, different conversations formed among those at the table. Aerith decided to explain to Cloud about how things went around Radiant Garden, Yuffie bickered with Squall while Rinoa acted as peacemaker, and Ifalna and Gast talked about miscellaneous rumors going around town.
"You're lucky, Cloud. Today was the first day of summer vacation, so you don't have to go school for three whole months." Yuffie commented out of the blue, interrupting his conversation with Aerith about chocobos back on his world.
"She's right. You are lucky." Aerith agreed. Cloud nodded, looking quite a bit paler than usual at the very mention of the dreaded place. No one noticed the look on his face as the conversations returned to normal.
Dinner was soon over, and more than one person was holding their overstuffed stomach. Yuffie, more chipper than ever, decided it was time to tease Aerith when the boys were in the kitchen, helping to clean up.
"So Aerith, did ya kiss Cloud yet?" she asked. Aerith's reaction was instant.
"YUFFIE!" She exclaimed, blushing a dark scarlet. Rinoa decided to take Yuffie's side.
"He is cute, Aerith. I bet he likes you, too, from the way he was blushing earlier on the porch"
"He was?" Aerith asked, grabbing the older girls arm and clutching it tightly.
"Yep. Redder than a tomato," Rinoa informed her.
"And redder than you," Yuffie added. Aerith flushed a deeper red.
"You two spied, didn't you?" she accused, finally getting it. The other girls laughed.
"You guys ready to go?" Squall asked walking into the room. The conversation ended immediately.
"Yeah," Yuffie and Rinoa said.
"Come on, we have to get home," Squall said. Just as the group was about to leave, Ifalna called out,
"Yuffie, dear, I forgot to tell you. Your parents are going out of town tonight, so you're going to spend the week here."
"Kay!" the girl answered. The others soon left, leaving Yuffie and Aerith in the living room.
"You know, I forgot we hated Rinoa until just now," Yuffie announced, flopping on the couch.
"Yeah. It's kind of funny, isn't it," Aerith agreed.
Sorry if it wasn't long enough.
To save myself some work, the Radiant Garden School District works like mine and has the same schedule
Oh and the way Ifalna had dinner set up is similar to the way my mom sets stuff up when we have a ton of people over.
Next chapter you guys get to learn what the guys wear to bed.
Cloud and Squall: WHAT?!
Oh, shut it you two. Until next time!