There was some confusion over one aspect of the last chapter. When I said the kitchen was in shambles, I meant that things were askew and out of place, not broken or anything. And GenGen and Sephy and Puppymaster were yelling too loud to hear much of anything.

And ages! So I'm thinking its like:

Cloud- 15

Zack- 19

Sephiroth- 22

Sorry for that, I should have been more clear.

Anyway! The AerisxAngeal fic turned out horrible... It was meant to be a one-shot into their life, but apparently I should have gone more in-depth...

Sorry for this chapter coming out late... My friend gave me her cold and I'm feeling horrible and lethargic...

-o-o-

It was nearly midnight when Zack and Angeal finally returned. Zack's steps were slow and he drug his feet, and Angeal carried a sleeping Cloud. Sephiroth, who was drowning in angst, perked up and grabbed Zack. The General pushed the black spikes from his tired face to show a smile.

"It wasn't hard or anything... Just tiring... And Cloud is okay. If we had given him a little more time, he would have been fine. Seeing what he did to all those guys," Zack shook his head. "I'm going to be nice to him forever more."

Sephiroth smiled and lifted Zack in his arms. The younger male went limp and let his head hang loosely, enjoying the feeling of being carried. "Is Cloud well?" Sephiroth asked Angeal.

"Yes. He's tired and he has a few minor cuts and bruises, but I think he'll be fine. I'll clean them while you help Zack. He needs to shower after all that, and I don't think he can do it himself. When you're done with him, I should be done treating his injuries, so you can bathe Cloud as well," Angeal offered to appease the slighted Sephiroth.

Sephiroth smiled a bit and walked off to the bathroom with Zack, one hand carrying and one hand undressing. Angeal smiled at their happiness and turned to Cloud. He carried him to the room he shared with Genesis.

When he entered, he saw Genesis shoving his face into his pillow and crying. Angeal sighed, not unkindly. The other man peeked up and showed red eyes and a frown. He brightened a little at seeing Cloud, but still looked miserable.

"Gen," Angeal sighed, resorting to the rarely used nickname in an attempt to make him smile. He did, just barely. "I understand Sephiroth crying, but you? Brave up and come here. We're going to disinfect Cloud's cuts."

Genesis wiped his eyes as he sat up. He eyed Cloud, who was being set carefully on Angeal's bed. "Does it involve nudity? Please?"

Angeal retrieved a bottle he had brought with him, as well as some bandages from his own stores. "His or yours?" he asked good-naturedly.

Genesis was about to answer, but a small whine from Cloud made him quiet. When blue eyes fluttered open, Genesis made a sound that was suspiciously like a giggle. "Angeal, be careful. There are chocobo's among us."

Cloud, as it turned out, did not like waking to Angeal and Genesis. He curled up and pulled Angeal's blanket over him. He glared fiercely as Angeal fought to remove the blanket.

"Cloud, we need to disinfect your cuts," Angeal said firmly.

Cloud replied with a suggestion of where Angeal cut put all his supplies and who could help him. He promptly began kicking at Angeal when he freed the covers from his lower half.

Genesis watched in amusement as this went on for almost half of an hour. Angeal was growing more and more frustrated.

When they hit the half hour mark, the room's door opened and Sephiroth walked in, a tired and wet Zack trailing behind him.

"Whuzgoinon?" Zack asked, peering through heavy eyelids.

Sephiroth carefully pried Angeal's grip from the blankets and crouched next to where Cloud's head was now buried. "What's wrong Cloud?"

Cloud peeked out and gave him the best kicked puppy look he had at his disposal (Courtesy of Zack. Thanks Zack!) "I'm tired and I have a head ache and I want sleep," he whimpered.

Angeal, even knowing he had to clean the cuts, still felt like a bully. Amazingly, Sephiroth seemed to be able to resist.

"Just a few moments Cloud. We'll get your cuts cleaned and heal you. Then we can give you a nice warm bath, sounds nice, right?"

Cloud whined for a few moments, but relented in the end. He sat up, a childish pout on his face, and half-heartedly displayed his various cuts to Angeal, who poured a stinging liquid on them, then to Genesis who healed them when they stopped stinging.

Sephiroth left them briefly to put Zack to bed. He had begun nodding off while standing, the poor thing.

When they were finished, Genesis picked Cloud up and let him rest his head on his shoulder. He carried the boy to Sephiroth, who took him and started a bath.

"Angeal, would you mind sitting outside the door while I bathe Cloud? I would like to speak to you about what happened, if you don't mind."

Angeal obeyed. He heard clothing rustling from inside and a small splash as Cloud got in the water.

"Who had him?" Sephiroth asked.

"It seemed like they were Wutaiian rebels," Angeal answered.

There were more sounds of splashing, then a bottle being uncapped.

"What happened?"

Angeal thought a moment. "They walked in and gagged him. They walked out. He clawed and hit anyone that was stupid enough to let him get too close. He pushed one of them into a thorn bigger than one of his spikes if that helps," Angeal offered.

There was a pleased humming noise from the bathroom.

"When they got him back to their camp, they tied him up to a pole. When one guy got... inappropriate, Cloud ensured that he would not be having children... well... ever."

There was another pleased hum. Angeal could picture the smug look on Sephiroth's face.

"When Zack and I got there, they were discussing the pros and cons of trying to use him against you. They were saying it wasn't worth it. We decided to just sneak in and get him... But that didn't turn out well..."

"What happened?"

"Cloud had already gotten free and snuck into where they were keeping their weapons. He was quite fascinated with their bombs. He accidentally set one. We ran like hell and cleared the camp before it went off. The explosion was really pretty. There were lots of colors."

Sephiroth sensed that Angeal was enjoying acting as a SOLDIER again. Completing missions and giving reports was something he had grown up doing.

And there was the added bonus of setting shit on fire.

-o-o-

And the next day they were kicked out of Wutai. Godo very politely came to them, offered his congratulations for finding Cloud, and then relayed his people's request that they leave.

Sephiroth, who had promised to leave if asked, had to comply. The rest of that evening was spent packing.

"Angeal, Genesis, what will you do?"

"What do you mean?" Angeal asked, finishing loading the helicopter that Sephiroth had stol- borrowed.

"Are you coming back to Shinra? I have more authority and you can choose to not see Hojo if that's what you wish."

"Everyone has to see Hojo," Genesis pointed out.

"I choose not to unless it's very necessary. Zack doesn't see Hojo. Hojo actually doesn't see much of anybody anymore... He must be lonely," Sephiroth mused.

Zack, fully aware and awake now, grinned. "Not really. I'm sure he's treating Heidegger. And Scarlet. Speaking of creepy people that hate chocobo's, where's Cloud?"

None of them knew, so they checked the house to find the blond stretching. They watched with fascination as he stretched like a cat.

He looks like he's getting fucked, Genesis thought.

He certainly is... flexible..., Angeal thought.

I hit that, Zack thought proudly.

MINE, Sephiroth thought.

Cloud finished with a yawn. He turned and blushed at all the eyes on him. "What?" he asked self-consciously.

"Nothing," Zack answered and walked forward. He picked Cloud up and kissed him, then let him fall back onto his feet.

Sephiroth couldn't help being at least a little snide. "Very good Zack. This time you didn't put Cloud on a lit stove. Congratulations."

Zack got defensive. "Hey, I only did that once!"

"Once is too much," Sephiroth bickered, a slight smile on his face.

They continued on like that for a short time. While they lightly argued, Genesis, Angeal, and Cloud slowly made their way outside. Cloud spun around a few times, looking very much like a child, before facing them.

"Your coming back to Shinra with us aren't you?" he asked expectantly. "Sephiroth and Zack miss you both so much and Sephiroth still has your Loveless books and Zack won't let anybody call him puppy except you."

Angeal shook his head and Genesis sighed. "We wish, kid. Hojo will kill us if we dare go back," he told the cadet.

"Who?" he asked in confusion.

"Hojo," Angeal said slowly. "He's a scientist."

"Why would he want to kill you both?" Cloud asked.

Genesis and Angeal gaped at the teen. They had known that Sephiroth wouldn't tell Cloud about the big bad monsters of Shinra, but they had expected him to warn the kid about him. After all, Hojo was possessive and viewed Sephiroth as his. Both Cloud and Zack should have been warned to stay away from all labs.

Genesis stomped back inside and yelled for Sephiroth. When he and Zack came to him, he drug them both outside. Letting go of them, He spun to face them. "How does he not know about Hojo?" the auburn haired man demanded. "Hojo will be out for blood when he realizes his hold on you is gone. Cloud and Zack's blood."

Sephiroth looked at him coldly for a moment. "Hojo will not touch either of them. They are mine. He will die if me so much as attempts to make either of them slightly unhappy. There was no need to tell Cloud about him because he is not going to bother us."

"Unless, of course," Zack added, crossing his arms. "He would like a repeat of the Heidegger incident."

Cloud didn't like being left out. He wanted to know that something could hurt them and he wanted to face it with them. He walked slowly to Genesis's side and carefully took his hand, showing that until he got answers, he was on Genesis's side.

Genesis and Cloud glared at Sephiroth and Zack. Sephiroth and Zack glared at Genesis and Cloud.

Angeal sighed and stood next to Genesis. "You two shouldn't keep Cloud in the dark. Do you think he's so weak that he can't handle the truth?"

"Of course not," Zack said, shaking his head. "But nothing like Hojo belongs in Cloud's world. Hojo is just so- so-"

"Disgusting," Sephiroth finished for him.

"Yeah, and Spike is just too... too..." Zack struggled for the word and looked at Sephiroth for help.

"He's just..." Sephiroth seemed to be having a hard time finding the right word to. "He's beautiful, and innocent, and sweet," Sephiroth finally settled on.

Cloud blushed at the compliment, but held his ground. "And I don't deserve to know what's going on?"

"Of course you do," Zack assured him. "It's just that we never really think about Hojo, and we didn't think that such a minor thing required your attention."

"If it's so minor, why are Genesis and Angeal scared of him?" he asked stubbornly.

"It's not just Hojo," Sephiroth said abruptly. "Scientists... worry the three of us. We grew up under their constant watch."

"And I didn't need to know this because?"

"Hey," Angeal said wearily. "It's late. You should be going."

Genesis looked at his long time friend. "We can go with them to their next vacation spot, can't we?"

Angeal looked up at the sky, thinking it over. "We could. Seph?"

"Please," he said immediately. "Please come."

Zack got down on his knees and pleaded with his mentor like a puppy.

"Zack, get up off the ground, show some self respect," Angeal said briskly, turn to walk to the helicopter.

Cloud would have sworn he saw the faint beginnings of an erection straining in the man's pants.

-o-o-

I'm not quite sure how many updates I can squeeze in before the end of the schoolyear. What I mean to say is that this story will pretty much go on hiatus until school starts again. I'll try my best to post chapters if I can, but I really doubt I can....

On the upside, I'll be able to start revising and editing the story in the long, long break. And another good thing, I'll have plenty of chapters to post when school does start again.