I got a little carried away with this chapter so it became two. The second part will be up once it's been proof read and edited properly.
Enjoy.
An unexpected first lesson
Sunday morning wasn't easy for either Zack or Cloud as they woke with the rising sun, both having suffered a restless night's sleep and now feeling weary and weighed down by their troubled thoughts and feelings about the coming week.
To make things easier for them the soldier had prepared a nice breakfast while the cadet showered, his lovingly made chocolate chip pancakes instantly bringing a much needed smile to the blonde's lips the moment he'd seen them piled high on a plate and waiting for him. There might have also been something endearing about the way Zack had set the table to go with the offering, his attention to detail meaning that not only was cutlery laid out but also napkins and a single lit candle flickering happily as a small romantic gesture of affection.
It had made something in Cloud's chest flutter as the soldier's warm violet eyes looked at him tenderly, the adoring lavender orbs saying everything that the cadet needed to hear and more as they held his own slowly damping sapphire spheres.
"Hey, don't cry." Zack soothed as he hurried to the blonde's side, his arms instinctively going around Cloud's supple body and drawing it into a comforting embrace. "I didn't mean to upset you." He apologised quickly, the tell-tale sensation of a warm dampness slowly forming on his t-shirt letting the soldier know that the cadet was now allowing a few silent tears to run free.
"I'm not sad." Cloud managed to reply, though his voice sounded muffled from being pressed against a cotton clad well defined torso. "They're happy tears, I promise." He forced himself to say, before the small emotional lump which had developed in his already tight throat made it almost impossible for him to keep speaking.
"Are you sure?" Zack asked lightly, his hands gently placing themselves on the blonde's shoulders and carefully prying him out of the safety of the embrace so that they could look at each other.
Still struggling with getting himself back under control again, and find his voice again, Cloud could only nod in agreement. His soft pink lips already curled up at the edges to show a faint reassuring smile, as his sky blue eyes slowly began to dry from their small show of emotion.
"You know it's ok to tell me what you're thinking." The soldier reminded the cadet, a small chastising tone entering his voice even as it spoke with unconditional love. "After all, I'm pretty sure we promised each other to talk about things if we needed to."
"I know." The blonde breathed, his body slowly moving forward to be safely embraced in Zack's arms again. "But I think you already know what I'd say and I don't want to get into a fight about it right now."
"Does that mean you want to fight about it later then?" The soldier teased, his gamble at making the playfully comment paying off as Cloud chuckled softly in response.
"I don't want to argue at all." The cadet replied as expected, the press of his lithe body increasing as he pulled them even closer together.
"Then what do you want to do?" Zack enquired happily, a lighter tone to his voice hinting of an unspoken relief that things were ok between them.
"I want to get dressed, eat my breakfast before it gets cold, and then get some homework done before Reno get's here." The blonde stated simply, the mention of his near nakedness reminding the soldier that the supple frame currently pressed against him was indeed only wrapped in a towel.
"Uuumm, yea. Sure." The soldier managed, while coughing to clear his suddenly dry throat. "Good plan." He added, before giving a quick affection squeeze and then pulling way so that they separated properly this time. "I'll just grab a shower while you get started on the first two things." He mumbled, his lips pausing long enough in speaking to place a chaste kiss on Cloud's brow before he turned and made his way towards the bathroom.
Smiling to himself the cadet watched the solider disappear from sight, the sound of the door closing behind him being an unspoken signal for the blonde to get his butt into gear. Already Cloud's mind was running through a list of which assignments he needed to tackle first, his body quickly cutting through those thoughts with a loud grumble to remind him that breakfast in fact his primary concern right now. With a soft chuckle the cadet turned and hurried into their bedroom to find some clean clothes, his heart beating happily as he thought about the tender care Zack had put into preparing the meal for him and his soul humming with pleasure as it enjoyed the linger feel of the soldier's affectionate touch on his body.
An hour later found the pair washed, dressed, full from breakfast and busy with their various tasks.
In Cloud's case it was nothing more than completing an essay about something rather boring and mind numbing, the tedious regurgitation of information only helping so much to keep his thoughts in check and unfortunately allowing his already unfocused mind to wander easily. Zack on the other hand was desperately trying to keep himself preoccupied with their combined laundry and getting the apartment as tidy as possible before he went away, the idea of leaving the cadet surrounded by unorganised mess at least helping him to keep busy and out of the way while the blonde studied, even if it didn't keep his trouble thoughts completely at bay.
As if on cue to their silent and unspoken prayers a knock at the door brought with it a perfect distraction for both of them, Cloud's book and note pad being quickly and happily flipped shut before the soldier had even let their guest in.
"Morning." Reno's voiced called out to the cadet across the room, his sea-green eyes instantly taking in how happy the blonde looked as he packed his things away. "Doing ok?" He asked casually, his head titling in the direction of Cloud's bag and the books which were now being forced into it.
"Yes." The cadet replied cheerfully, his sky blue eyes glowing brightly as he hefted the bag onto his shoulder and began to walk across the living room towards the bedroom. "I just need to put this way and grab my schedule." He called back as he disappeared inside the room and out of sight.
"Wow." Reno breathed softly, the smile on his lips increasing into a more genuine one as he turned to face the soldier who was now standing just behind him. "He's really ok with this?" The red head asked, a touch of disbelief still lingering in his voice.
"Yes." Zack agreed with a light-hearted chuckle, his violet eyes holding a hint of something which was unreadable but clearly in contrast to his projected pleased mood. "He's actually looking forward to you kicking his butt."
For a moment Reno could only stare as the amethyst orbs which held his own aqua spheres tried to communicate something to him, a warning of sorts that said the soldier knew how rough he'd been last time and it wasn't acceptable to let it happen again.
"Hey." The red head breathed soothingly, his hands actually rising in a show of peace. "He kicked my butt pretty good that day too you know."
"I can imagine." Zack sighed, his tone still holding a trace of reservation but no longer the tension as a more amused expression appeared on his handsome features. "Just don't hurt him, ok."
"I won't." Reno promised, his own turquoise eyes almost chastising the raven haired soldier for thinking such a thing.
Just then Cloud appeared in the room again, his attention more focused on the pieces of paper in his hand than the other two and completely missing the exchange which had happened between them.
"Sorry." The cadet mumbled as he walked over to the dining table and began to spread the various sheets out on the flat wooden surface. "I put them in a safe place ready for today and then forgot where that was for a moment. I guess I should have just left them where I normally put them." He added with a sigh, his supple body already lowering itself onto one of the chairs as if he expected the soldier and Turk to join him there at any second.
"No worries, I do it all the time." Reno admitted with a shrug. "Though I'm not as bad as Zack."
"Hey." The soldier cried out, his progress across the apartment coming to a halt as he turned to face the red head properly. "At least I can find things on the same day that Angeal requests them." He pointed out with an evil but playful smirk on his face.
"Yea, right." Reno shot back with a barked laugh.
"I do too." Zack contested with a child-like pout, his actions causing unobserved blonde eyebrows to rise in surprise.
"Do I need to remind you of the chocobo incident, or are you ready to drop this subject yet?" The young Turk across from him challenged, the silent cadet who had been sitting and watching the exchange suddenly finding his voice and speaking before the soldier had a chance to.
"What chocobo incident?"
"Nothing." Zack cut in quickly before Reno could speak, his bright violet eyes now wide as they desperately begged the red head to stay quiet.
"Let's just say you're too young for that story." Reno explained with a faint chuckle, his attention quickly turning back to the task at hand and indirectly bringing the conversation to an end.
With his head bowed down to examine the cadet and soldier's combined schedules the young Turk could only watch the other two with his peripheral vision, the effort needed to keep his lips in a neutral line and not crack into a big grin actually making his cheek muscles start to hurt. Bright sapphire orbs were focused on Zack with more than just slight curiosity now, the wondrous pools of blue asking more questions then words ever could and showing that the topic was anything but over. While on the other side of him the soldier's amethyst spheres were filled with embarrassment and a trade mark puppy pleading look which begged for the blonde to forget all about it.
To Cloud's credit he tried to fight the famous kicked puppy look, his head actually giving a small, very subtle, shake to show that he didn't want to let this one go. The way it had been raised and the answer he'd been given only intriguing him more. Unfortunately Zack's blushing features had taken the look of embarrassment on his handsome face to a whole new level, so that even the experienced red head had to admit he would have found it hard to hold out against that if it was aimed at him. And he certainly had a few years of practice dealing with that look to back him up. It therefore wasn't much of a surprise when the blonde caved in after only a minute, a soft sigh passing over his parted lips as he gave a reassuring smile that the subject would be dropped, the soldier's body physically relaxing and his flustered state easing away as the danger of that story coming out was brought to an end.
"So you guy's train every day?" Reno decided to ask, his question interrupting the pair's silent conversation and bringing their combined attention back to the task at hand.
"Yea." Zack replied quickly, his obvious relief that they were moving back to the original topic not being missed by either cadet or Turk even though neither commented on it. "We tend to mix it up so that stamina and endurance training are intermixed with sword work and some hand to hand combat sessions."
"Sounds good." The red head commented while nodding in agreement, the distribution of the work required for each tutorial showing a well thought out schedule for Cloud's development. "What about assignments and educational progression?" He asked, before glancing up and looking questioningly between the pair. "How much time do you guys spend on the academic side of things?"
"I'm actually a little ahead in class." Cloud mumbled shyly, his fair cheeks warming as he gave the reply and noticed Zack's expression become one of pride. "I tend to do the assignments in the evening or at weekends in my spare time."
"Don't be modest Spiky; you're way ahead in all of your classes." The soldier pointed out, his words causing the blonde's delicate features to bloom with more colour.
"That's good, but you shouldn't push yourself too much to get it all done now." Reno aired thoughtfully, his hand already taking hold of a pencil as he began to jot down ideas on a fresh piece of paper.
"I'm not pushing myself." The cadet protested faintly, his angelic face showing a slightly confused expression as he looked towards Zack questioningly.
"It's true Red." The soldier agreed quickly, seeing the uncertainty in the blonde across from him.
"If he's in class all day and then training with you each evening then it doesn't leave much time for studies." The young Turk pointed out, his head not even lifting up to glance at them as he spoke. "It's no wonder he doesn't get any time to chill out properly with you and Angeal riding his arse all the time."
"What?" Was the squeaked response from the cadet, his barley diminishing blush finding life once more and re-igniting his glowing pink cheeks with a new wash of crimson.
"Reno." Zack growled lowly, his cautionary tone thankfully drawing the red head's full attention towards them again.
"Sorry, bad choice of words." The young Turk apologised, as he finally looked up and his sea green eyes danced warmly between shocked bright blue and warning deep violet. "I just meant that this schedule is great for buffing you up Cloud, making you good for a soldier candidate and all, but it doesn't give you a lot of time to just be you. You know what I mean?"
"No." The cadet stated simply, his lips at least able to form one more word as the rest of his language skills continued to evade him.
"Well shit." Reno sighed, his lean frame slumping against the back of the chair as he took in the blonde's very serious expression. "Zack man, what have you been doing all this time?" He demanded lightly, the way he now spoke showing it was more than just a continuation of their friendly banter from earlier. "You work him ragged and then don't even give him time to play."
"We do have fun." The soldier protested sulkily, his troubled violet eyes glancing over at the blonde and silently asking Cloud for confirmation of this as he spoke. "I mean we enjoy ourselves with training and poker night was good." He continued, as the cadet nodded almost robotically in agreement with his words.
"We both enjoyed training with our mentors as well, but you know I don't mean that kind of fun." The red head grumbled, another annoyed huff showing that he was mildly disappointed in Zack's lack of effort in this area. "You are just as aware as I am that there is more to life than training and work, so bad puppy for not teaching that to Blondie here as well."
"Hey." The soldier whined as his pet name was once gain used against him. "It's not like we've had much opportunity to ..."
Here Zack's words trailed off as he realised that there was nothing he could say which wouldn't hurt Cloud in some way, the truth of their situation being clear for all to see and letting them all know that some off duty entertainment was definitely more than over due.
"Right." The young Turk stated before either soldier or cadet could get emotional over the slip up. "We start now and today's lesson will be a flying one." He stated evenly, his phone already in hand and dialling a number as he spoke.
"Reno you don't ..." Zack began to say, his words dying on his lips as the red heard gave him a small glare and began to speaking to someone on the other end.
"Hey Tseng, I need to borrow the chopper for a couple of hours. That ok?"
Sky blue eyes went wide as they connected with equally stunned lavender orbs, both soldier and cadet shocked by the Turk's causal and almost cocky tone with his superior officer as well as the idea of what he was suggesting. Neither were about to admit it but there was a nervous excitement now running through them, Cloud because he'd never flown before let alone in a craft such as the one Reno was planning on, and Zack because these days he really only ever went up in one when on a mission.
"Got it, thanks." The red head ended his call, the distinctive click of his phone snapping shut breaking Cloud and Zack out of their stunned silence and back to look at him again.
"You're seriously taking us for a ride?" The soldier couldn't help but ask, the joy of what they were about to do now bubbling away within him.
"Yep, so get your shit together." Reno confirmed, his lanky frame slouching back comfortable in the chair as he waited for the pair to put their shoes on and grab a jacket each.
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Twenty minutes later found the trio walking across landing pad C and approaching the aircraft which was prepped and waiting for them, each of them now silent as they focused on what was to come.
"I can't believe we're doing this." Cloud whispered, more to himself than anyone else, his words however not being missed by the soldier who walked beside him.
"It's cool Spiky." Zack reassured with a warm smile, his violet eyes now glowing with a child-like eagerness. "Tseng gave it the ok, so it's not like we can get in trouble."
"I know, I'm just ..." the blonde began, his voice faltering as once again the use of language escaped him and left him helpless to explain what he was feeling.
"Nervous?" Reno guessed for him, the red head at least having the decency not to laugh out loud even though the amusement was clear in his eyes.
"I've never flown before." The cadet mumbled self-consciously, his sapphire eyes instantly going straight to the floor so that he wouldn't see their reactions to his next comment knowing that he would appear weaker because of it. "And I get motion sickness." He admitted reluctantly, his own bitterness and self-loathing of this fact very evident in his voice.
"Good thing you mentioned that now then." The red head replied sounding relieved, his relaxed and understanding tone instantly making Cloud's head snap up to look at him again.
"You mean ... you're not ... angry at me? It's ... ok?" The blonde choked, the look on his delicate features being one of complete disbelief that they were accepting his flaw so easily.
"Why would we be angry at you for something you have no control over?" Reno asked casually, his question cleverly giving the impression that he didn't know as much about the blonde's past as he did.
Beside them the soldier couldn't help but smile knowing better, his face briefly glancing up to offer his friend a silent thanks for playing this card and ingeniously providing Cloud with an invitation to open up about things if he wanted to.
"It ... it's a weakness." The cadet whispered almost fearfully, his sky blue eyes searching the sea-green ones in front of him as if looking for confirmation of this self-confirmed fact.
"Well, it's not exactly the best thing to have." The young Turk agreed reluctantly, the friendly smile on his face remaining as he tried to reassure the blonde that it really was ok. "But once you get into soldier and start on the mako treatments it should get better. Until then just make sure you tell someone before going on any missions and they can give you what I'm about to." He continued, while reaching inside the cockpit and pulling out a small kit, his aqua orbs now clearly searching for something important. "Ah, here it is." He cheered happily, his hand coming out of the small case it had been sifting through with a small plastic container in his grasp.
"Motion sickness tablets." Zack chuckled, his own confusion and curiosity about what the red head was doing instantly evaporating as he recognised the familiar container. "I should have thought of that."
Reno stopped in his task of removing one of the pills to look up at the soldier in front of him. "Did you know Cloud gets motion sickness?"
"No, but I should have remembered that you guys carried those just in case." He sighed, his head tilting in the direction of what the young Turk was holding and looking sheepishly at the cadet with a soft apologetic expression.
"You mean ... I'm not the only one who ... gets sick?" The blonde asked in surprise, the unspoken joy and relief this discovery gave him being obvious as he visibly relaxed in front of them.
"You're kidding right." Reno chuckled happily, as he passed the small white tablet to the blonde along with a bottle of water to help swallow it with. "I've had a couple of upper class guys lose their lunch in the back more than once and I wish they'd had the balls to mention that little problem in advance."
The red head was too busy putting his kit away to notice the light which suddenly shone in the blonde's eyes, or catch the shy smile which formed on his soft lips as his face developed a faint pink hue, but Zack had and was more than grateful to his friend in that moment. Whatever could be said about the young Turk he was good at what he did and didn't pull punches with what he said, the way Cloud now responded to his casual behaviour giving the soldier more confidence that the coming week would be just fine after all.
"Right." Reno declared, as he turned back round to face them and smiled mischievously. "Who's up for a flying lesson?"
"Oh, you mean you'll actually let me fly this time." Zack joked playfully, knowing full well that the red head wouldn't let him within ten foot of the controls after his last attempt.
"I don't think so." The fiery haired Turk replied as expected, his turquoise orbs darkening as he silently let the soldier know he didn't stand a chance.
"You mean ... me?" Cloud stuttered, his head flicking quickly between both Reno and Zack as he took in both men's expressions to see if they were serious. "But I ... I can't ... fly." He spluttered much to their amusement and his own humiliation, as his voiced squeaked out the words.
"That's the point of a lesson." Reno chuckled, unable to hide his pleasure at how the blonde's fair features were once again lighting up with amazement and awe as he tried to take it all in. "Now get your butt inside there and let's get this bird off the ground." He mock ordered, the words having barely left his mouth before Zack was climbing into the back to buckle himself in.
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Ten minutes later and they were airborne; the craft leaving the ground fare behind as it rose up towards the clouds and ascended to the heavens. Within the cockpit Cloud was staring wide-eyed out of the window, his face a mixture of rapture and fear as he took in everything that the sight offered him. Reno smiled but remained quite as he carefully guided the well tuned machine through a series of gentle manoeuvres, his normal style of flying put on hold while he had the nervous cadet seated beside him. It was clear to see that the motion sickness medication hadn't quite taken effect yet, the faint off colour complexion which had formed on the blonde's delicate features easily warning him to take it easy at first. There was of course the added evidence of Cloud's hands grasping both the seat and safety harness so tightly that his knuckles had gone white, a quick glance at the soldier sitting behind them allowing the young Turk to see that Zack was also aware that something wasn't quite right with the cadet just yet and silently thanking the red head for what he was doing.
Another twenty minutes passed as Reno took them further out and away from Midgar, the extra time giving the blonde's body more of a chance to adjust to it all. The slight turbulence they did encounter was easily dealt with and the gradual return of a healthier colour to Cloud's cheeks slowly letting both soldier and Turk know that the tablets were finally doing their job.
"Ok." Reno began, his words surprisingly being the first any of them had spoken since taking off and actually catching the blonde by surprised as they echoed in the headset he was now wearing. "You ready to take over?"
"Me? But I don't know how." The cadet stammered. The nervous excitement he was suddenly feeling very clear for the other two to hear and for the red head to see in those glorious pools of blue before him.
"Just take hold of the control stick in front of you." Reno began to direct, his head nodding in confirmation as Cloud did as he was instructed. "Good, now make sure you have a firm grip, but keep it relaxed so you don't hold it too tightly."
"How do I know if it's right?" The blonde asked in confusion, the expression he now wore being one that was desperate not to screw up and get them all killed.
"Relax." The young Turk chuckled, as he smiled reassuringly at the blonde. "It's not that hard to get used to once you get a feel for it."
"Just compare it to sword work." Zack cut in quickly, his voice thankfully not betraying his own uncertainty in what the red head was about to do. "You remember how you needed to learn how to grip the hilt properly so that you could wield the blade correctly.
"Yes." Cloud gasped back anxiously, his head quickly turning back to look at the soldier and show that he wasn't joking about his fears when he spoke again. "But screwing up with my hold on a sword won't get us all killed."
"You won't get us killed, so stop panicking." Reno sighed, his words drawing both blue and violet eyes towards him questioningly. "If it looks like you're having trouble I'll just switch the control back to me, ok?"
"You mean ... I'll be flying ... on my own?" The cadet choked, his chest raising a falling notable now as he fought to calm his racing heart.
"Well, how else did you think I was going to give you a flying lesson?"
Neither soldier nor Turk heard exactly what the cadet said as a reply in that moment, his voice disappearing to practically nothing as the softly spoken words slipped from between his slightly paler then normal pink lips. Yet each could easily guess what thoughts were currently running through Cloud's head based on the worried expression which had now formed on his soft angelic face.
"Hey." Reno began, his tone becoming softer and encouraging as he drew the cadet's attention back towards him again. "I'm going to be right here the whole time, so just relax and try to enjoy yourself." He stated calmly, his turquoise orbs trying to communicate his confidence in the blonde's abilities as nervous blue spheres looked at him apprehensively. "Just try to keep her steady for a few minutes and then we'll go from there." He explained, his hand already reaching for the switch that would give the blonde complete control. "Ready?"
Cloud couldn't speak, the words he wanted to say stuck in his suddenly dry throat. His heart was racing a million miles an hour, the poor organ beating so fast his ribs actually felt bruised by the force. Short sharp breaths showed his anxiety but the flash of determination with deep pools of blue also revealed that he was ready for this, a head of blonde spikes bobbing once a second before the young Turk flipped the switch.
A second later and Cloud felt the control in his hands pull slightly, the grip he had on the item tightening as he fought to keep it firmly in place.
"Good, but easy up on your grip." Reno advised as he watched the blonde struggle slightly. "You don't have to hold her exactly in place; it's not like driving where you have to stay in the lanes." He joked lightly. His sea-green eyes glittering with amusement as he heard Zack mumbled something about just staying away of trees, a comment which the cadet had thankfully missed due to his undivided attention being on what he was now doing.
"I'm ... flying." Cloud gasped in delight after a few minutes, his young innocent features portraying a picture of pure childhood joy as he risked a quick glance at the red head beside him.
"Yep, you sure are." Reno agreed with a bright smile.
"Great work Spiky." Zack added from behind them, his tender and adoring look for the blonde being filled with pride as well.
"Really?" The cadet chirped to their amazement, his beaming smile actually revealing a row of perfect white teeth as he presented them with the biggest grin the Turk had been blessed to see so far.
"Now what do I do?" Cloud asked eagerly, the slight tremble in his voice still letting them know he was nervous despite his very obvious excitement and pleasure in what they were doing.
"We keep going like this for a while and then when you feel ready I'll start to show you something else." Reno replied cheerfully, his enjoyment of the unplanned lesson showing clearly on his face as he grinned happily for both soldier and cadet to see.
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The next hour was filled with fun and excitement for all, Cloud's previous hesitation now pretty much gone as he began to grasp the basics of what he was being taught. Already he had been shown how to control the small craft so that it banked to either the left or the right, his ability to pick things up quickly meaning that Reno had him forming large figures of eight in the air in no time. In fact, the cadet had been so caught up in what he was doing that he didn't even notice when the red head leant back in his chair and let his hands rest comfortably on his lap. The young Turk still ready to take over if need be, but happy enough with the blonde's progress to let him have complete control.
Needless to say it wasn't until he had finished performing his second set of manoeuvres forming those entertaining little circles independently that Cloud had seen Reno's hands no longer near the control stick, his head instantly snapping up so that shocked blue eyes could meet with pleased and amused sea-green orbs.
"I ... I did it ... by myself?" Cloud choked out, his wondrous blue eyes sparking as he took in both Reno and Zack's delighted expressions.
"Yep, you sure did." The soldier confirmed happily, his warm violet eyes being full of pride as he spoke.
"Wow." The cadet breathed softly, his bright sapphire gaze filling with a look of wonder as he let the significance of what he'd just done sink in. "I flew." He half asked, half stated, his softly spoken words of disbelief causing the other two to chuckle softly.
"Yea Blondie, you flew." The young Turk replied cheerfully. The smile on his face being only a little smaller than Zack's, but no less pleased with Cloud's effort, as he casually re-took control of the craft and began to guide them all home.