Happy holidays, everyone! I wrote some Christmas fluff! This is kind of a gift fic for NinjaSquirls, even though I did steal the idea from her... yeah.
And no, I still don't own Final Fantasy, but I guess you can't have everything.
Cloud never thought he would miss the harsh winters he encountered as a child in Nibelheim. It was during the winter holidays that Cloud felt even more awkward and out of place in his hometown; he was never invited to build a snowman or participate in a snowball fight. Instead, he stayed in the cozy confines of his house while his mother went to work, curled up with a book or watching some mindless TV special he'd seen a thousand times. Until he came to Midgar, Cloud believed Nibelheim was the worst place to be during the winter.
However, when Cloud was unlucky enough to stand guard duty Christmas Eve, he realized that the city was far worse than anything he had experienced in Nibelheim. He stood facing the wind, desperately trying to ignore the biting cold and snow that lashed across his face, reminding himself that Nibelheim winters were easily ten times worse. With a heavy sigh, Cloud realized how beautiful his mountain home was in the winter. Somehow, the current weather made Midgar even more disgusting than normal, a feat Cloud previously thought to be impossible. Instead of being covered in crisp, clean snow, the muck and smog that suffocated the city turned the fragile crystals to muddy slush.
When Cloud was finally relieved of his duty at some ungodly early hour Christmas morning, he found himself reliving previous holidays he had spent with his mother. He didn't even try to smile as he entered the room he shared with Zack; he was far past exhausted and homesick and all he wanted to do was curl up under the heavy blankets on the bed and sleep until it was next year and he could forget about the holidays.
Of course, Zack had other plans. Cloud really wasn't all that shocked when he found Zack on the couch, sipping a beer and watching some shitty Christmas movie on TV. Cloud tried to convince Zack that they should both go to bed, but the older teen grinned and gently pressed his lips against his boyfriend's before he pulled the blonde over to the Christmas tree they had decorated a few weeks ago, taking advantage of the temporary shock Cloud had lapsed into. Unfortunately for Zack, Cloud recovered quickly. The blonde didn't understand why they couldn't sleep in until noon, like normal people, and open presents then and he bit his tongue to keep from crying or yelling at Zack or both as the dark-haired man literally bounced from his spot on the floor as he watched his young boyfriend carefully unwrap his gift. Before Cloud could even ask just why Zack gave him a black leather leash and collar, the blonde found himself with a lapful of a warm, wriggling black labrador. Cloud couldn't hold back his smile even if he wanted to, and for Zack, that was the best Christmas gift he could ask for, but he didn't complain as Cloud all but threw himself at Zack, both of them ignoring the yelp from the puppy as the blonde eagerly kissed the dark-haired teen.
However, Zack was slightly disappointed with Cloud pulled away from the kiss, insisting that they find a name for the ball of fluff and energy. Cloud said Zack Jr. seemed fitting, but the older teen protested. Cloud forgot his exhaustion and homesickness as he and Zack debated over names for their new pet.
When Sephiroth showed up hours later, as per Zack's request, he found the two lovers asleep on the couch, with a nameless puppy beside them.