Warnings: New love cooing, that's about it. Oh, and Zack's imagination

Chapter 9. Walking in the Air

They decided to walk to the reactor. They didn't want Cloud developing motion sickness, a weakness he was notorious for in barracks. Also, Cloud knew a short path to it, the one he and Zack had used to return to Nibelheim after the attack by Genesis actually, but Zack had been too busy worrying about Cloud and Tifa, and Seph, to remember it. Driving the twisty dangerous road wouldn't get them there any faster. It was easier than the path Tifa had used and there were no bridges so poor Hansin's fate wouldn't be repeated.

First, they had to get out of the village. It was later in the day than when he and Zack had gone to the mansion, so that meant more people would be awake and watching for something to happen that they could gossip about.

It was going to be Cloud. Again.

"Are you all right with this, Cloud?" The General asked again.

"Yes, Sir," the corporal responded and somehow he was. He didn't care what these villagers thought of him anymore. He didn't want them to apologize to him for how wrong they'd been about him. He didn't care if they never had to shake his hand to thank him for saving the world. Those dreams seemed rather silly and childish now. The General's hand on his neck, Zack's goofy, confident smile, those were real. Those were important, although, there was one person in Nibelheim whose opinion mattered.

"Sirs," he asked hesitantly, "After this is over, would you like to meet my mother, both of you, I mean."

Zack's grin broadened, "Would I ever!" he enthused. He'd seen a picture of Cloud's mom and she looked good enough to be a MILF.

"We'd be honoured, Cloud," Sephiroth responded solemnly. He felt a flutter of what he thought could be nerves. He wasn't sure. He knew most people considered it a major step in a relationship to meet each other's parents and gain their approval. It was, perhaps, a remnant from the days when parents negotiated dowries for their children based on their assessment of the value of the prospective partner. Therefore, if he was indeed nervous, it was perfectly acceptable.

Cloud was blushing lightly and Sephiroth gave into impulse and brushed a soft kiss across a frosted cheek. "So very brave, Cloud," he murmured. Cloud blushed even more deeply. He couldn't stop himself from glancing at his friend to see his reaction. To his relief there was no disapproval or concern on Zack's face, just genuine happiness for them both.

"C'mon, you two lovebirds: work first, play later. HUP-to!"

The Inn's common room was still mostly empty. The real test of Cloud's resolve came when they walked across the village square. The matrons were lining up at the water tower to fill their buckets for laundry or cleaning or whatever, and to share the latest gossip. The old men were sitting outside at tables playing Go or Checkers and agreeing with each other at the sorry state of the world today.

It seemed all eyes locked on the trio at once. They saw the SOLDIERs, Zack swaggering and smiling, and Sephiroth contained and icy. Then they zeroed in on Cloud, looking short compared to the other two, and so very unimpressive. The force of all those gazes was like being hit in the face. Cloud couldn't help it, he stopped dead, all the confidence he'd felt inside disappearing. In fact, he felt like he was separating from his body, looking down on them. It felt odd to look down on Zack and the General.

Zack saw what was happening and he shifted until he was beside his young friend. "Be proud, Spiky. You're better'n all of them."

"Breathe, Corporal," General Sephiroth ordered and Cloud realized that he had indeed stopped breathing.

Then Cloud felt something really strange. It wasn't materia but it was like that because, between the two SOLDIERs they erected a shield between the three of them and the locals. An invisible wall that deflected all the petty, spiteful thoughts they might throw at Cloud. It was weird, but cool. They would protect each other. They were a team and they needed him. It was enough to get his feet moving again. This time, when he walked through the village, he kept his head up, walking like a soldier not a delinquent.

He couldn't wait to show them off to his Mom.

It didn't take long to leave the small settlement behind. The pattern of bad jokes and weird insults that they'd developed in the mansion was continued. Sephiroth had declared himself early on as a neutral third party and the only mature one in the group. Then he'd spoiled it by castigating them both as unimaginative idiots who lacked basic language skills and had even less decorum. Zack's unrepentant grin let Cloud know that having the General insult them was a good thing and the General was soon the target of comments ranging from innuendos arising from the length of his sword to what kind of hair conditioner he used.

Of course the closer to the reactor they got, the less relaxed the two SOLDIERs were. "She's getting louder," Zack announced, shifting back to Cloud to place his ungloved hand on the corporal's bare arm.

"I feel a little more pressure. It's not a significant increase though."

"Cloud's obviously not standing close enough then," Zack teased, "Or maybe he just has too many clothes on."

"Maybe I should take a heater to your brain, fungus head, dry out some of that mildew," Cloud said.

Before Zack could respond suitably, Sephiroth asked, "Could Jenova be switching her focus to you, Zack?" He had switched his grip to Cloud's hand as soon as they were out of sight of the last building and unsheathed Masamune, but they were relying on the dark-haired First for most of their physical defence. If Jenova were to attack him...

"Naw. I'm not picking up words or anything, just that annoying buzz."

Cloud looked at his friend; there were lines of strain around his eyes and mouth. This was more wearing than he was letting on. The young corporal came to a decision. Like the other military men, he liked having his weapon at the ready – even though he hadn't used it once since they left Nibelheim and wasn't likely to. Still, he was a soldier in a potentially dangerous situation. Training, and pride, demanded that he remain armed. However, protecting Zack was more important than his training or his pride. He slung his weapon strap over his head and slid it to hang down his back. Making himself virtually defenceless. "Take my hand, Zack."

Zack laughed uncomfortably, "I don't need–"

Cloud wiggled his fingers impatiently, "Take my hand, Zack, before that thing does decide to target you."

"It is a legitimate concern, Commander," Sephiroth supported the corporal so Zack, with a slight blush under his dusky skin, took Cloud's hand.

"It'll be like playing Crack the Whip," he commented, covering up any discomfiture with a joke. He'd forgotten his commanding officer's unusual 'childhood'.

"What is 'Crack the Whip'?"

"Something Aerith should do to him more often," Cloud muttered.

"Ooh ya," Zack agreed, transported by the thought.

"It's a children's game, Sir." Cloud proceeded to explain the simple activity, with a sidebar to explain ice-skating, to the General while Zack thought of how he could suggest whips to his naïve girlfriend.

He could just see her, in a pretty flowered dress, hair up in a ponytail, holding the black leather whip, looking at him with wide eyes, "You want me to do what with it?" Maybe if it were velvet, a nice rich girly colour, she'd at least hold it for him while he took pictures. As much as he'd like to try it, he figured the image would stay just in his imagination. At least thinking of it was a good way to block out thoughts of Psycho Alien Bitch and what they'd be facing at the reactor.

The teasing and the insults thinned as they got closer and Cloud worried that whatever innate ability he had to block Jenova's voice out wouldn't be enough to protect the two SOLDIERs. They were both of them, starting to get slightly pained looks on their faces and Sephiroth would occasionally tighten his grip on Cloud's hand as if reacting to a sudden attack. He cast Barrier around the three of them, and it seemed to help for bit, but again, the closer they came to the reactor, the more vulnerable they were.

"You know, Seph, after listening to whatsername all this time, I now know where you got your parade ground voice. That bitch could break glass from a klick away." It was a feeble joke. All it did was reveal to Cloud that his protections were failing.

"In the village, when everybody was staring, you two did something, it wasn't a Barrier but it was like that. It made it seem like the people in the square were behind a wall."

"What?" Zack asked, completely mystified.

"Hmm," Sephiroth considered it for a moment. What had they done? "It is something they practice in Wutai. I didn't study it but I believe it's called directing or managing chi?"

Zack, whose curiosity wouldn't let him ignore any conversation occurring in his vicinity, said "Is that what it is?" He turned to Cloud and jerked his thumb at his CO, "I picked it up from him. It's great when we're forced to listen to Heideggar for longer than a couple seconds."

"It has proven useful in the past," he agreed. Cloud just looked frustrated and the General realized the corporal wanted to adapt the technique to aid his innate ability to block Jenova. He wanted to protect them. He couldn't help the softening he felt inside. Most people not in SOLDIER wanted to be protected from him.

His little corporal really had the most luscious lips...

"Hey!" Zack waved his hand in front of the silver-haired man, "mission first; kissing later. Besides sexual energy might be transmittable through skin-to-skin contact and I have no intention of indulging in an all-male three way on the side of a Nibelheim mountain."

"Does that mean you'd indulge if this were a 5-star hotel in Midgar?" Sephiroth asked and then smirked as his SiC's jaw dropped in absolute shock. Sephiroth had never, ever, made a joke containing sexual innuendo to Zack before. It almost sounded like an invitation.

"Aaaah," You're not gay, Fair, he reminded himself, "Let me get back to you on that, sir."

Sephiroth's eyes glinted in triumph at having silenced his babbling friend. Cloud was trying to swallow his giggles. "Good one, Sir." He looked up and was caught by those beautiful, green eyes. Oh wow, look at those lashes. He wanted to stroke his fingertips over them, or have them stroke over his skin – that would work too.

"Thank you, Corporal. Back to your question: from what I understand, it is a rejection of energies that are being directed towards you or a protection of your own energies. I was never certain of the translation." He finished apologetically.

"That's okay, Sir. I think I know what you mean." He closed his eyes and thought back to the scene in Nibelheim, to that moment where he was looking down on them in the village square. The avid nosiness of the villagers seemed to him to be cold air, small minded and disapproving. The wall of spirit that the General and Zack had erected between them was like warm air, keeping all that cold energy away.

This is what Cloud pictured in his mind. Jenova's voice was the cold air. His spirit was a warm breeze blowing a few steps ahead of them, keeping the chill away. Then he cast it, as if it were materia.

Both Sephiroth and Zack could sense his fierce determination and his protectiveness. It was endearing and a little odd because Cloud was the smallest, the youngest and physically he was the weakest of the three. That determination caused something to change. "Is that better, Sir?" He opened his eyes to look anxiously at the General. He was relieved to see the tension leave his face.

"Indeed, Cloud."

Zack was more enthusiastic, "Fuck, yeah! She's back to being an annoying buzz. Shit, I can't believe that worked."

"It is most impressive," Sephiroth leaned closer, Cloud stretched up unable to resist the lure of that quirky smile.

Zack pulled them apart. "Hey, no distracting our defence with your uncontrollable lust or I'll have to tell the guys how your discipline broke down at the sight of big, blues eyes. On a mission, no less. You'll find blue-eyed plushies and dolls everywhere you look for years."

Sephiroth looked at the young First in displeasure. However, he did have a valid point. "Later," he murmured and gave Cloud a brief peck.

The blond trooper gave a wide, happy smile, "Yes, Sir."

The trio proceeded along the path. Zack had recovered his voice, "You know what you remind me of, Spike? A little kid walking between his parents. Maybe Seph and I can swing you or something."

"I think the General will manage to swing you into bed before I'll let you try," Cloud responded.

"Awww, my little Spikey made a sex joke. He's all growed up now."

"One of us has to attempt it. I figure I have the best chance of succeeding."

They ignored the smooth baritone that commented, "You both fail."

The path, never easy, hadn't been well maintained. The mayor had better things to spend his money on – like his daughter. It soon became obvious that Cloud needed to concentrate more and more on maintaining the barrier, wall, whatever it was that he was projecting. It was a good thing monsters were very rare in the dead zones surrounding mako reactors as neither Sephiroth nor Zack wanted to risk jostling the young man. They could feel Jenova battering at Cloud's protection, demanding that they listen – even Zack could make out the words now but Cloud had been right this morning. It was just repetitive rants that didn't make any sense, except, y'know, destroy everything.

Cloud was essentially walking with his eyes closed; not the smartest thing to do in the treacherous Nibel Mountains but better than Jenova getting through to one of the SOLDIERs. He could tell Jenova was hitting them hard, trying to break through the protection Cloud had manifested. Their hands would flex and tighten almost to the point of pain. Cloud would blow a gust of warm air out to surround whoever was under attack but it was happening more and more frequently.

Unfortunately, the image he had used earlier had grown and taken on detail and a reality of its own. Jenova was now a storm. Her hatred was a cold wind that pulled at their clothing and raised goose bumps on imaginary flesh. Her words were like rain soaking everything even though he'd dressed them all in imaginary rain capes. If she got any stronger, it would turn into hail, or snow which would be disastrous. His warm breeze was barely stopping her now. He couldn't picture himself holding umbrellas or blankets, and he already felt so cold, although he knew he wasn't. If her words did turn into snow then he needed something more solid than a 'warm breeze' and plastic capes to use as shelter.

He was not going to let her have either of them!

"You never know when you and your friends will need shelter from the storms."

It was his father's voice from that weird dream he'd had this morning. He'd been describing that funny cottage that he'd decorated. The one that had stone walls, stout doors and window coverings, a fireplace and blankets… everything needed to survive a mountain storm. Shit. He hated weird stuff, but if it would work then he'd do it. He just needed to get Zack and the General there.

He imagined them in his mind, what he saw as the core of them; their positions, their abilities, their looks and their personalities. Their uniforms, which were such an integral part of them that Cloud couldn't imagine them in anything else, even though he'd seen each of them in more or, in the General's case, less. Focus, he reminded himself.

Once he had the image of them in his mind, he led them to his out-of-place cottage. Open the door, Zack, he ordered his friend's essence. To his surprise, the image obeyed him, the door opened and in they walked.

A cheery fire was burning in the fireplace. The apple wood added a hint of spice to the air, which was complemented by clove-oranges hanging from the ceiling. A stew was cooking on the wood stove in the corner and there was fresh bread cooling on the counter. The tired SOLDIERs breathed deeply and relaxed. Steam wafted from their wet clothing as the heat already went to work drying it.

"Welcome to my home," Cloud said. He closed and barred the door, and the frame disappeared into the stone wall as if it had never been.

There were pictures on an overfull bookcase; Cloud and Zack goofing off on the training field, Cloud and what looked like his parents, The three of them at the Inn this morning, joking and playing footsie at the table, and one tucked in the corner in a precious heirloom frame of the Cloud and Sephiroth hugging each other close. There was a large bed along one wall, big enough for three. Propped up on the pillows, sitting proudly in the middle of all that space, was a beat-up stuffed dragon, obviously well hugged over many, many years.

"This is fantastic, Spike!" Zack spun looking at the hangings on the wall; a patchwork quilt small enough for a child, an intricately woven scene of a bountiful forest, a beautiful embroidered panel depicting the Wutaian god. He laughed out loud at the image, "Look, Seph. Cloud's got a self portrait." Cloud blushed and Zack strolled over to give him a hug. "It's perfect, Spike. Good choice."

Sephiroth hadn't let go of his lover's hand. His perusal was, therefore, a visual rather than tactile one, but he knew what he was seeing – the most intimate parts of the Corporal's heart and mind. His eyes lingered on the photo of the two of them. "It is an honour to be here, Cloud."

"Thank you, Sir. We should be safe here."

"I'm sure we will."

"Do you smell stew, Seph?"

The General smelled the air but detected nothing. Nothing that made sense, at least, yet for just a minute, he thought he'd smelled... he'd detected the faint aroma of cloves. Perhaps it was a new manifestation of Jenova, but it didn't have the same 'feel' that her voice carried so he dismissed the fear as having no basis. One change he was certain of, though, he was feeling decidedly warmer now than he had been even a minute ago. Yet there was no apparent reason for the deviation.

"And is it just me, or did the temperature just go up ten degrees?"

Zack's casual words sparked a theory. "Can you detect Jenova's voice at all?" the General asked his fellow SOLDIER. He was unsurprised when Zack shook his head.

Sephiroth looked at Corporal Strife, his lover, nearly sleepwalking between them. His face was peaceful; a slight smile on his lips and his eyes mere slits hiding that brilliant blue. He raised a wrist to touch the young man's forehead and confirmed that Cloud's body temperature was raised. Somehow, the trooper had combined his innate blocking ability with the barrier theory they'd discussed, and maybe some materia theory as well, and done something completely unexpected with it.

He wasn't sure where his lover had gone, but Cloud had better be able to come back from it. The thought of losing another person he loved, it was… unacceptable.