A/N: Hey, guys. Thanks for the feedback and reviews; you can all have imaginary cookies!

Anyway, without any more delay- here's the next chapter!

Chapter 3:

Preparation

Cloud learnt quite a bit that lunchtime.

He had learnt that the Godly three were human after all;

He had learnt that their conversations were similar to everyone else's;

He had learnt that he should have never shown interest in LOVELESS

And, he had learnt that he wasn't the only one Zack hugged.

Genesis, Angeal and Sephiroth were all pulled into squeezes every so often as well. The silver-haired teen seemed more than displeased at the contact, as did Angeal. Genesis, however, despite not returning the embrace- only smiled at the childish nature his newest friend was displaying. It was kinda creepy. Was it normal for a sixteen year old boy to go around hugging people he'd only know for a couple of days? Either way, Zack got away with it…Zack got away with everything!

Still, seeing him hang off the necks of bigger, more impressive people caused the blond's stomach to churn. He'd always felt special when Zack hugged him…but now….

"You better not forgot our evening plans, Puppy." Genesis said as the next lesson began to draw near. "I've gone to a lot of trouble to make sure this night is enjoyable. It won't be the same without our new plaything."

"Don't be late yourself, Genesis." Sephiroth said, staring at the brunette lazily. "Angeal and I are tired or your constant tardiness."

"If I'm late tonight it will be for an extremely good reason." The poet retorted, narrowing his azure eyes.

"Such as?"

"I need to make sure our Puppy is dressed for the occasion. I can't have someone accompanying us in town unless they look as good as we do."

Zack chuckled, punching the red jacket-clad teen in the arm.

"I can get dressed myself, Genesis!" The brunette shook his head, flashing a pearly-white smile.

"Not a chance. First, you will show me the outfit you have chosen, and then you will try on some of my clothes. They should fit you."

"Alright, but I get to cover them in my cologne!"

"Fair enough, as long as you wash them afterwards."

Boy, were the two different! Zack was so upbeat and cheerful all the time, yet also acted immature and excitable. Whereas Genesis was cool and calm, always completely relaxed and teasing- humorous in a more adult manner.

And they smelt different- a comment which had to be made due to their conversation.

Zack's cologne was manly and strong, almost able to pass off as his natural scent. It made Cloud shiver every time he got close enough to smell it.

Genesis, however, wore a scent which seemed to match his personality. It was smooth and sweet and oddly calming. It smelt like a blooming meadow beneath the sunlight. It too was nice, though Cloud much preferred Zack's (probably due to his infatuation with the ravenette.)

But, would Zack really suit anything Genesis had in his wardrobe? They were so different. The red leather jacket was the only piece of the brunette's actual clothing that Cloud had seen, but even that gave off the impression that none of his clothes would look right on Zack.

"Genesis' wardrobe is bigger than the average person's living room." Angeal informed them, earning that cool smirk from Sephiroth.

"How many clothes do you need!" Zack exclaimed, his mouth gaping as though someone had just slapped him silly.

"He needs to look good, Zack."

No way!

Cloud slapped a hand to his mouth, cursing himself for speaking out of turn and for undermining the ravenette. How could he do such a thing! It wasn't like him to speak without carefully considering his words first. Did Zack really knock him so off-guard? Was he really more relaxed just by being near the tanned boy?

"Finally, someone understands!" Genesis called, flashing the shy teen that dazzling smirk.

"Careful, Cloud." Came the gruff tone of the largest ravenette. "The last thing Genesis needs is an ego boost."

"Indeed. I fear you may have become his new favourite groupie." Sephiroth mused, exchanging a look of amusement with Angeal- as though they were sharing a private joke.

"Hey, didn't you guys tell me that-"

"Zack, no!" Angeal warned, shaking his head vigorously. Yet, Zack was far too baffled to not finish.

"Genesis slept with…his…groupies…." The puppy-like boy stared at the silver-haired teen as he sighed, covering his eyes. Cloud displayed much the same reaction as Zack, both of their mouth's forming into wide 'O' shapes as their eyes darted to the brunette, who seemed just as shocked as they did.

Okay, that was lie.

Genesis' 'shocked' expression consisted of a slight parting of his lips, the cocking of his head and a few melodramatic blinks. They put him to shame with their reactions, not that Cloud was actually focusing on that….

"Angeal, Sephiroth!" Genesis snapped. "How could you?"

"I never lie." Angeal murmured, obviously trying to hold back a laugh. His shimmering eyes showed his delight.

"When have I ever even hinted toward doing such a thing?"

"We just assumed…." Sephiroth began, but not really knowing how to continue- shooting an irritated glance at the loud-mouthed ravenette, who merely shrugged.

"You did lead that girl on…." Angeal added, also glaring at the teen.

"Do you really think I would have kept such a thing from you?" Genesis said, in the most accusing tone Cloud had ever heard. "I would explain every moment, sensation and whisp-"

"We get it." Angeal cut him off, shaking his head.

Cloud, however, still hadn't recovered.

Genesis slept with his groupies, according to Angeal and Sephiroth….

They also called Cloud Genesis' new groupie….

Were they suggesting…?

That Genesis and Cloud would….

"Aw, Cloudy's blushing!" Zack shouted, pinching the boy's heated cheeks.

The brunette's gaze was on him in a second, taking in every last detail of his red cheeks.

Cloud would never…not with Genesis…never.

Aw, man! Would his blush make Zack think he wanted to? Was this gonna ruin any tiny chance Cloud had with the ravenette?

"We have embarrassed the boy." Sephiroth pointed out bluntly.

"You three need to make it up to him." Genesis barked, giving them all a displeased glance, before returning his stare to the youngest.

"I suggest we invite him to join us this evening." Angeal said, looking at his silver-haired friend for backup.

"Do you really think he would enjoy an evening with us?" The silvernette retorted.

"He'd certainly keep our Puppy occupied. I agree with Angeal." Confirmed the poetic tone.

"Yeah! Then I won't be the only newcomer!" Zack cheered, patting the still-blushing boy on the back.

"What do you say, Cloud?" Sephiroth asked, glancing at the blushing blond with uncertainty. He couldn't believe he might actually end up spending an evening with this small, insignificant boy.

"Err…I d-don't want to…i-impose…" The boy stuttered, lowering his head.

"Don't worry about it, Cloudy! You won't be! Sephiroth- Angeal, Genesis, Cloud and yours truly will meet you there!"

"I look forward to it." The silvernette said, glancing at the smaller boy.

They had all departed on time- a first for the Godly three- so Cloud wouldn't be late to his lessons. The rest of the day consisted of Kadaj pestering the poor blond, looking for details. The charismatic youth seemed most interested in things he could use against Sephiroth the next time they had an argument. Cloud was trying to get Kadaj, Yazoo, Loz and Denzel (who had found out from the loudmouths) to keep it a secret. He was already receiving enough attention as it was, the last thing he needed was everyone thinking he was best friends with the most famous kids in school.

He was just Cloud Strife- that was all.

According to Kadaj, his brothers would fulfil their payment for losing the bet the next day during lunch. The blond had to admit- he was looking forward to seeing it.

For a while, he completely forgot that he was spending the evening with Zack. It was his dream come true! Then again, his dream didn't include Angeal, Sephiroth and Genesis being there was well. He could feel his heart pound at the thought, knowing that he'd find some way to make himself looks stupid.

"Cloud," The boy's oceanic orbs glanced up as he was snapped from his daydream. He had been expecting to find Kadaj leaning over him looking concerned for the third time since lunch. However, the deep, gruff voice hardly belonged to the silver-haired youth.

"Weiss?" Cloud said, blinking furiously. They were in Geography, so it wasn't like Weiss being in the room was a huge surprise or anything, he just hadn't expected the boy to stroll up to him (his step-brother Nero behind him) and begin conversation.

"Zack asked me to give you this." The white-haired teen explained, dropping a slip of paper onto the blond's desk. "It's his number. Apparently, he couldn't give it to you himself on the bus because he wants you to text him now." The teen scoffed as he repeated his little conversation with Zack.

"Um…thanks?" Cloud looked up at the two boys, noticing instantly that Weiss was (once again) missing his shirt. The blond didn't understand why it was such a big deal, it was just a shirt. But, apparently this was normal behaviour for Weiss. His step-brother surely didn't seem fazed.

"Weiss," He muttered, clinging to the larger teen's arm protectively. "Who is this?"

"Nero, this is Cloud."

"Oh. Nice to meet you." The ravenette whispered, looking oddly young and infantile with Weiss' large arm trapped within his own little ones. There sure were some weird people at this school. "So, yeah. Text Zack now or I get abuse." The boy turned, trying to pry his arm from Nero's grasp. "Oh, and I included my number- for future reference."

Sure enough, once Cloud looked down at the paper, two numbers (each with a name beside them) were clearly visible.

I…I h-have Zack's…number!

The teen's heart did a somersault as he watched Weiss retreat, bickering with the teacher over the lack of his shirt.

It didn't take long for Cloud to whip out his phone and add the two new numbers to his, relatively short, contact list. Knowing that Zack was waiting for his text, the young teen didn't feel any guilt or fear as his fingers dashed across the keypad. In the end, he sent a simple text saying 'Hey' with his name added on the end.

The reply was almost instantaneous:

'Hey, Cloudy. So Weiss bothered then?'

His heart did another leap. He, Cloud Strife, was texting someone as cool and charming as…Zack!

'Yeah. Wots so urgent?'

Glancing up quickly, Cloud could see that his geography teacher was still arguing with Weiss- who had sent Nero off to his seat. It was almost as if the white-haired youth was doing it on purpose, to buy Cloud enough time to text. Then again, it wasn't like students didn't always have their phones out in class.

'Maybe I just wanted ur number '

The blond felt his breath hitch, hardly acknowledging Kadaj's sudden interest in the messages.

"Huh, I didn't know Zack was that way. Who'd have thought?"

"Uh, hey!" Cloud shouted, covering the screen with his free hand. "What the hell do you mean?"

"Oh, come on, Cloud! Not even you can be that naïve! Zack's totally gay!"

"Is not!" The blond snapped.

"Whatever. If I were you, I'd ask Genesis tonight when you guys go to the movies."

"How did you-?"

"Having Sephiroth as a cousin really has its benefits." The teen chuckled, holding his own phone up for his friend to see. "Sephiroth doesn't hate me as much as he lets on."

"We're going to the movies?" Cloud asked, suddenly realizing that he hadn't been told what the evening would consist of.

"Apparently. Dunno what you're going to see though." Cloud suddenly felt the small device vibrate in his hand once again. With a quick glare sent Kadaj's way, he looked down to see a new message from Zack.

'U there?'

'Yeah. Wots happening l8er?'

'We're popping into 2 town then heading 2 the movies. Im getting off at Gennys stop cuz I already hav my cothes wth me. Well pick u up l8er if u want.'

'Sounds good. Wot shud I wear?'

The reply came a little late this time, giving Cloud enough time to discover that the argument over the shirt was still going on.

Just send him to the Headmaster's office already. Cloud found himself thinking, not that he wanted Weiss to get into trouble or anything- it was just common sense.

'Genny said he'll help u pick out an outfit wen we pick u up. Wots ur address?'

The blond quickly sent Zack his address and some vague directions before allowing a grin to spread across his face. Zack was coming to his house. Zack would be in his room.

The bus journey was so uneventful that day. Zack and Genesis didn't want to discuss their evening plans to avoid boring Reno, Aerith and Weiss- whereas that was all Cloud wanted to discuss. He wanted to know every single detail pertaining to that night to reduce the chance of making a fool of himself.

The main topic of conversation was the reason why Nero and Weiss did not live together. It turned out to be this whole confusing thing about their parents getting together, then splitting up in a matter of months.

But, of course, soon everyone (seeing as Zack was getting off the bus with Genesis) had left except for Cloud and Aerith. With no Zack, it just felt like any regular old bus journey- rather depressing in comparison. Cloud almost felt sorry for Aerith as he followed his brother off the vehicle, waving goodbye.

"I heard you're heading into town with a bunch of older guys." Cid hissed as he clambered off the vehicle, ignoring a warning regarding his bus pass from the driver.

"Um, y-yeah. Zack invited me…well, actually it was Angeal…well…."

"Whatever." Cid growled, walking a little faster than usual. "I just find it sad. Why'd Zack want to hang out with a younger kid anyway?"

Cloud chewed on his bottom lip to resist giving the answer 'because he's not an asshole'. So what if Zack was a little older than him? Weiss hung out with Reno- same age difference. Who was Cid to criticize their friendship?

Stupid big brother. Cloud thought to himself, kicking the dirt as he followed the larger blond home.

The wait was agonizing. Cloud had rushed into the shower upon arriving home, desperate to look his best. He'd even attempted to tame his wild mass of natural spikes- only to fail miserably time and time again. Eventually, the blond just slapped in some gel to at least make it look intentional. Seeing as Genesis was going to choose his outfit for him, Cloud didn't bother looking for some nice clothes to wear. Instead, he threw on some reasonable garments and waited impatiently in his room. The wait was absolute hell and watching Cid leave for an evening with his own friends only made Cloud more anxious.

However, when the doorbell eventually rang- Cloud was up and rushing down the stairs in under a minute. As he reached the front of the house, he watched his mother open the door to reveal two impressive teenage boys.

"Good evening, Mrs Strife." They said in unison, flashing perfect smiles at the baffled woman.

"Um, c-come in." She said, obviously not expecting this when she was told that a few friends were coming over. The brunette and ravenette stepped over the threshold, the former wiping his feet politely, entering the house.

"I am Genesis Rhapsodos," The poet said, nodding courteously. "And this is my new puppy. No need to worry, I'm pretty sure he's house-trained." He added, waving a hand in the teen's direction.

"Zack Fair." The ravenette introduced himself, shooting a glare at his friend. "We're here for Cloud."

"Hey." The blond piped up, not wanting to give his mother enough time to embarrass him. He'd be able to do that just fine on his own.

"Hey, Cloudy! I'm just glad we got the right house!" The ravenette called, beaming widely.

"Zack here couldn't decipher your directions." Genesis explained. "We better get started, Sephiroth and Angeal are waiting." Cloud nodded, beckoning them to follow.

"We're just heading up to my room, mom." Cloud said, leading the boys upstairs. He just hoped he had any clothes good enough for the evening.

The two older teens looked so good.

Genesis obviously favoured the colour red. He wore a red and black shirt, ironed to perfection and neatly worn. It was untucked and the two top buttons were undone- of course- but he still looked rather smart. He wore a pair of very dark jeans, a dazzling belt attached- covered in bird motifs. His boots, though hardly visible, had obviously been polished that day and were practically spotless. A sparkling pendent hung around his neck on a golden chain, sparkling in the light brightly. The pendent was of a feather, the detail very well done. He also wore some decorative earrings and his hair seemed even more perfect out of uniform.

Zack, however, was something beyond. Genesis looked good, really good. But, nobody could top Zack in Cloud's eyes.

The ravenette was wearing a black, tight tank top along with a black leather jacket. Although his arms were covered by the stunning jacket, the muscles of his chest and stomach were clearly visible through the tight material. And, boy, was Zack well-toned. He also wore a pair of jeans rather similar to the brunette's, leading Cloud to believe that Genesis had, indeed, chosen his clothing. Zack, however, had a pair of very nice, white trainers.

The ravenette also wore some jewellery, though nothing quite as extravagant as the poet's. A simple silver chain hung from his neck, along with a silver stud in each ear. And, his hair looked practically the same- which was actually a relief to the blond. Zack was stunning.

"Thankfully, I didn't need to do much work on the puppy." Genesis said, waving a hand toward the black-haired teen. "Just the jeans. The lining of the ones he had chosen didn't match the jacket."

"You're such a pedantic drama queen!" Zack said, chuckling.

"Anyway, now to dress this one." The brunette said, following the boy into his room. The two older teens scanned the room briefly, nodding their heads in approval before turning to the task at hand.

Genesis was soon gone from his previous position, swiftly moving to the wardrobe. "Not bad." He muttered, riffling through the contents.

"He does that." Zack informed the teen, moving over to plod down on the bed.

Zack Fair is on my bed! The blond shouted silently, feeling his cheeks flare up at the sight. Zack was just where he belonged.

"Don't get any creases in that jacket, puppy." Genesis said, his head hidden from view within the large piece of furniture.

"Genny, how long are you gonna be?" Zack whined, propping himself up on his elbows. "It took long enough for you to get changed. We're gonna be in a cinema, no one will see us!"

"We have reputations, Zack." The brunette said. It was actually one of the few times Cloud had heard the poet use Zack's name, rather than 'puppy'. "Settle down, I shouldn't be long. Cloud has good taste."

A few minutes later and Genesis emerged, looking Zack up and down briefly.

"Do you still have the jeans you brought?" He asked, glancing between the two other males.

"Yeah, why?" Zack said, cocking his head cutely. The blond stared at him, wondering if he was aware of his attractiveness.

"There are some nice tops here which would go with them very well."

"No offence to Cloud, but I'm way too tall. My jeans would never fit him!" Zack had a point.

"Then I'll hem them, just for tonight. The way I do it, you won't even be able to tell afterwards."

Zack searched the small bag he had snuck past the youngest of the three, finding the folded piece of clothing and showing it to the poet. After a brief nod of approval, Genesis reached into the wardrobe and pulled out three shirts. He strolled across the room, shoving the clothes into Cloud's arms and making his way to the door. He looked quite intimidating in his own clothes.

"You help Cloud into those whilst I ask Mrs Strife if she has a needle and thread." Genesis murmured. "I'll call Sephiroth as well." Before waving gracefully, he vanished from sight- leaving only faint footsteps and a gentle scent as proof that he was there at all.

"Yeah, he does lighten up after you get dressed." Zack reassured the boy, flashing a grin. "Well, you heard he-who-must-be-obeyed! Time to get you changed!" Jumping up, Zack took the jeans in hand and made his way over to the blond.

Is-is he s-s-serious! Cloud thought, staring in horror at the older teen. Did Zack really expect him to get changed in the same room!

"Um…maybe you should just…give me a minute…." The blond muttered, staring at his feet.

"Aw, you're shy!" The poor boy felt his cheeks grow in heat at the shout of realization. "I'll close my eyes, I promise!" So, after handing Cloud the jeans, he returned to his position on the blond's bed, shutting his eyes tightly. "See, I'm totally blind."

Gulping, the blond observed the shut eyelids- confirming them to be closed. Zack wasn't trying to check him out, why would he? He was just lazy…that was all! After shuffling over to the corner of the room, Cloud hesitantly slipped out of his current trousers, eyeing the jeans with great doubt that hemming would do anything. He kicked off the clothing, jumping into the jeans as fast as possible. Soon, he was pulling the large trousers up and over his hips. They were huge! Not only did they travel down way past his feet, but they hung off his waist so loosely, Cloud was sure they would fall down if he let go.

"Hey, Weiss just got grounded!" Zack called, chuckling in delight. The blond's eyes darted to the ravenette, taking in the sight of him lying there, eyes open, fingers tapping the keys of his phone.

"Zack!" Cloud whined, trying to find something to throw at him.

"What? I didn't see anything, I swear! But, how do you expect me to sit in darkness for that long!"

"Two seconds?"

"You were counting?" The boy narrowed his eyes at the tan-skinned teen, infuriated. "Don't frown, Cloudy, or I'll have to come over there and tickle you!"

"No!" The boy shouted, instantly forcing a smile onto his lips. Having Zack on top of him, his fingers darting all over Cloud's body was really the worst possible thing that could happen right now.

"Well, then."

"Did you ever learn modesty?" Cloud said, unable to resist asking the question.

"Erm…nope! I was parading around the house naked long before you were born, Cloudy-boy!"

Image in my head, image in my head. Cloud repeated, dangerously close to arousal.

Blushing furiously, Cloud just watched the ravenette as he sent message after message, biting his tongue in concentration. The younger teen knew that he shouldn't feel this way towards another boy, he knew these feelings should be saved for Aerith and Tifa and other girls in his school. But, Zack was different. Something about the ravenette made his heart race…okay, everything about the ravenette made his heart race! Just spending time with the tanned boy caused feelings within Cloud he'd rarely felt in the past.

Was there really any chance they would be together? Or was it all just fantasy?

"Your mother is quite the handy woman." Came the alluring voice of the poet. The brunette strolled in, pushing a piece of thread through the hole of the needle as he did so. "And organised too." With a questioning glance at the still blushing blond, Genesis got to work.

Cloud watched as the brunette rolled the legs of the jeans up until they were the right height and began the hemming. The teen's skill with a needle was superb, for someone who one assumed did no work at home. It wasn't long until the clothing fit Cloud perfectly (after Genesis had chosen a belt for him, of course).

"Not bad, Cloudy. They look better on you than they do on me." Zack said, sitting up with a cheery smile. "I just wish you'd hurry up, Gen! This bed is so comfy, I could fall asleep!"

"Relax." Genesis said, throwing one of the three shirts into Cloud's arms. "I think we'll with this one."

Suddenly too frightened to speak out of term, Cloud waited until both of the teens appeared to be looking away before stealthily changing his top. And, he was finally done! Once he'd slapped on some of his own cologne that is.

"Thank you, Mrs Strife. I promise that the puppy didn't leave any mess." Genesis said, handing her provisions back with a charming smile.

"Not a problem, boys. Having you here was a pleasure." The woman said, glancing at her son momentarily.

"What time should we have him back by?" Zack asked, wrapping an arm around the boy protectively.

Please don't embarrass me! Cloud screamed in his head, glancing at his mother hopefully.

"Well, seeing as he's with such responsible young men…." She took a moment to consider the question, catching her son's ever hopeful gaze with a smile. "As long as you promise to keep him safe, any reasonable time is fine."

I love you, mom. Cloud thought to himself, making a mental note to thank her properly later.

"Don't worry; I will carry him there if I have to!" Zack announced, pulling the small blond into his body to emphasize his point. "Cloudy-boy's safe with me. I'll watch him!"

"And I'll watch Zack." Genesis said, strolling towards the front door. "I'd love to stay longer, but Angeal and Sephiroth are already at the cinema waiting."

"See ya later!" Zack called, following the brunette happily. Cloud found himself still being held closely to the teen's body and it felt oddly…warm and safe, like there's was nowhere safer in the world.

A/N:

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! I know I did!

Anyway, I hope you all like this chapter. I'm worried it was a bit rushed but I'll leave you to decide!

I'm still carefully planning this story out seeing as I want the moment Cloud and Zack get together to be absolutely perfect!

And for those wondering why Zack is so touchy-feely with everyone, it's because he's generally a physical person! I know some people who are like that, hugging everyone every chance they get. It's generally because they don't see it as strange because of how they were brought up.

Anyway, please review and tell me what you think.