Chapter 26, the worst chapter ever. Seriously.
I had the hardest time writing this between bouts of writer's block and the massive amount of summer homework I was assigned.
-o-o-
It was after midnight when Zack stumbled in. He immediately woke Sephiroth, and Cloud woke at the feeling of having the source of warmth leave. He hurriedly pulled on some clothes and stood to help Zack to a nearby chair, blushing when he realized that Sephiroth decided to forgo the clothing and walk around completely naked.
Zack, scratching absently at his neck, grinned at the adorable blush covering the younger's cheeks.
"Come on Cloud!" Zack gently teased, "You've seen us both naked before. It's not like you're a virgin anymore!"
Cloud, who had been hurriedly getting Zack some tea from their supplies, blushed darker and peeked up at the man through his soft yellow lashes. Seeing a friendly grin, he smiled lightly back and handed over the tea.
Sephiroth stood behind Zack and placed his hands on his second in command's shoulders. Working gently, he began massaging the tense feeling from his lover's muscles. Zack leaned back into the pressure, loving the feeling.
"How'd it go?" Cloud asked anxiously.
Zack opened his eyes, not remembering closing them, and smiled at the cadet. "We talked it out. He still isn't crazy about me having two life partners," Zack winked at Cloud, then leaned back to give Sephiroth the same treatment. "As well as two casual lovers. That's how I described it. Two life partners and two casual lovers."
"Why?" Sephiroth asked, leaning down to press his face into the black spikes he loved so much, and then moving to nuzzle Zack's pale neck.
"Mmm," Zack seemed completely incapable of any thought while Sephiroth was performing such an open display of want and need. When Sephiroth pulled back to gaze curiously at the man, Zack remembered the question.
"Oh... Well I love you both. I love Genesis and Angeal too, but not as much as you both and I love them in a different way. I'm planning on being with you guys for the rest of my life. With those two, they'll probably run out again at some point or another. That's fine."
Sephiroth smiled at began working at Zack's clothing. Cloud retrieved the now empty cup and deposited it in the sink. Then he turned to follow the other men back into the bed. Climbing in, he was snatched up by a grinning Zack.
"Anyway," Zack said breezily. "I only decided to sleep with them because puppybo here needs all the love he can get, in any way he can get it."
Sephiroth nodded and wrapped his arms around Cloud, cradling the boy between them. "After leading such a lonely life, you need it," he explained to the wide blue eyes gazing up at him. "It's our duty to ensure that your never hurt, but also that you experience as much love as you can. There really was no other choice. We had to sleep with them to make sure they didn't hurt you."
Cloud, feeling overwhelmed with love, was startled to feel Zack's hands slip down to the pants he had slipped on. A low chuckle in his ear made him shiver pleasantly. Sephiroth reached around Cloud to give Zack the same treatment.
-o-o-
Morning came too soon and too abruptly. Waking up came in the form of Genesis throwing open the door and entering the room with a flourish, Angeal slowly following. Zack groaned and threw a nearby pillow at where he guessed Genesis to be. A light laugh let him know he missed his target.
"Shu' up, too early..." Zack burrowed deeper into the nest of blankets and pillows they had created. Sephiroth sighed and pulled Zack tighter to him, careful not to disturb Cloud, who was curled up, pressed firmly against his other side.
"It's morning and I'm hungry," Genesis whined. He tugged at the blankets, trying to take them away.
Angeal sighed, rubbing his face. Genesis threw him a glare with he didn't catch with his back to his oldest friend.
Sephiroth carefully released Zack and sat up, one hand under the covers searching for his clothing. After a few moments, he was dressed from the waist down, leaving his torso bare. He carefully climbed over Zack to get out of the bed, ignoring when Zack weakly batted at his legs. Sephiroth fondly tucked the blankets around him tighter, and then turned to face Genesis.
"What do you want us to do about it? We have no food. Zack had a late night, so he's not waking up completely any time soon. Cloud has nothing to cook, so I'm not waking up to have him listen to you whine," Sephiroth grumbled. "All we have is the tea that Cloud brought."
"Would you mind if I made myself some of that?" Angeal asked wearily. He was tired and he had a headache because Genesis's antics.
"Of course not," Sephiroth answered. "It's in the front pocket of Cloud's bag."
"Tea isn't going to help me, I'm hungry," Genesis declared.
"And what do you want me to do about it?" Sephiroth snapped, going around the man to help Angeal search for the tea.
"I want you to come with me to help find food. Wouldn't it be nice to have breakfast for Cloud and Zack instead of relying on them for every little thing?"
Sephiroth and Angeal turned around to tell him to be quiet, but it seemed a pillow to the face did the job for them. They all looked towards the bed and instead of seeing the Zack once again looking at them with irritation, they saw the cute pout of Cloud.
"I have a headache and I still feel sick, so shut up. Go outside and follow your nose. I'm not getting out of this bed today," Cloud growled, diving under the covers once again.
Genesis stared at Cloud in surprise, and then turned to Sephiroth to ask what was going on. He was surprised to see him turn away, smothering a grin with one hand. Even Angeal looked amused.
"Cloud still isn't recovered from the flight. Give him a little more time. He'll be nicer later, just remember not to wake him up with yelling again," Sephiroth called softly.
"I think I'm just gonna go get lost in the village until I find something," Genesis decided, casting another wary glance at the bed.
Sephiroth, who was in the process of boiling water as Angeal searched through the pack for tea, turned around. "According to Zack, this place isn't very big, so I doubt that you'll get lost per se, maybe just a bit turned around. If you find a store, feel free to get some food, we'll save it for when Cloud is well enough to cook again."
Genesis nodded and quietly left. As soon as the door shut, both Angeal and Sephiroth sighed in relief.
-o-o-
After about an hour, Genesis came back in with a bag in one hand and a half eaten apple in the other. "I found food!" he announced cheerfully. He saw that Zack was now awake and sitting at the small kitchen table with Sephiroth and Angeal. Cloud was also awake, but he was sprawled out on the bed looking tired.
Everyone looked up at him as he came in, looking a bit relieved.
"I though you actually did get lost in this small town," Angeal sighed.
Sephiroth smirked and dealt some cards to the others at the table.
Zack turned in his seat to give him a thumbs up.
Cloud scrambled out of bed and hugged the confused man. Over the blond spikes he saw Sephiroth smile fondly at the sight.
"What's wrong, kitten?" Genesis asked, baffled by the mood swings.
"I'm sorry for yelling at you this morning, I didn't mean it," Cloud mumbled into a red leather coat. "I really didn't mean it. I'm sorry."
"Shh, shh, kitten, shh. You shouldn't be sorry, I was being a loudmouth. You just surprised me, is all," he hurriedly assured the cadet.
Zack set down his cards and came to help pet and soothe. "Puppybo, don't worry so much. Everyone yells at Genesis, it's natural. He's not going to hate you or think you're a bed person if you get upset every once in a while."
"Of course I won't its normal to get upset when wakened so rudely. I'm sorry," Genesis whispered, kissing Cloud's temple. Cloud looked up with watery eyes. "Oh, Cloud, don't cry! It's not that big a deal, I like that you got angry, it means that you're getting comfortable."
"Still, I'm sorry," Cloud wiped at his eyes. He took a step back and Zack returned to the table, scolding Sephiroth, who had peeked at his cards.
Genesis smiled down at the cadet. "I have some things here and it's passed breakfast time. I like to cook too, so let's whip up some breakfast for us, hm?"
Cloud rapidly nodded and took the bad from the man, walking quickly to the kitchen. Genesis followed, but not before kicking the table, knocking a pile of cards off. When Zack cried out in surprise, Genesis looked over his shoulder and gave the other two the finger for not helping him.
By time Cloud turned around, all he saw was an innocent looking Genesis following him and Sephiroth and Angeal scrambling to retrieve the lost cards.
"What are we making?" Cloud asked him pleasantly. Genesis blinked at him in confusion. He didn't know what they were going to make, it all depended on whatever was in the bag. He hadn't looked while shopping, just threw things in the bag at random.
A knock on the door interrupted them, and Genesis was glad for it. "Go answer that, I'll set all this stuff up."
"Okay," Cloud chirped and raced off to do as he was told. Genesis watched him go with an amused shake of his head. When Cloud opened the door, he did so with a cheerful, "Good morning!"
The woman he had met the previous day was standing before him, uneasily shifting her weight from one foot to the other. Zack's mother smiled when she recognized the shy boy she had met the previous day.
"Good morning," she greeted back as Cloud shyly pulled at the collar of his shirt. "I was wondering if Zack was in."
"Yes, he's playing cards with Sephiroth and Angeal, please come it," Cloud invited, stepping back to allow the woman to slip into the room and closing the door behind her. "Zack, your mother is here!"
The three men looked up from their cards and Genesis peeked out from the kitchen. Zack abandoned his cards in favor of standing to run over and hug his mother. Cloud slipped away as quickly as he could, hoping to avoid being talked to like the previous day. Genesis accepted him back into the kitchen and followed him without another look at the woman.
"Hey, mom. Not to say I don't appreciate the visit, but what are you doing here?" Zack asked, guiding his mother to the table where Angeal and Sephiroth were packing up their cards.
"I just wanted to apologize to your..." she faltered, searching for the right word, "Lovers... For how my husband acted yesterday."
"Its fine, none of us really expected any different. Zack gave up a warning about how he was probably going to act, so we were prepared," Genesis announced, exiting the kitchen.
"Cloud kicked you out?" Sephiroth guessed. He pulled a chair over for Genesis, who took it.
"Not kicked, more like stared me out. He didn't like the ingredients I threw together at the market. He just sort of looked at me quietly like I was stupid and I decided that maybe he could handle it on his own."
"He got kicked out," Angeal summarized.
"Yep," Zack agreed.
Their conversation was cut short by Cloud quietly pushing open the door to bring in cups of tea for everyone. Genesis looked away, sheepishly wishing he had paid more attention to what he bought and promising himself to never do it again.
When Cloud silently reentered the kitchen, Genesis let out the breath he had held while everyone else softly laughed at the man.
They made idle conversation while Cloud was in the kitchen cooking and before the food was done, Zack's mother excused herself and prepared to take her leave. She peeked in the kitchen and watched Cloud as he moved about the kitchen expertly, smiling a little when he looked over at her.
"I just wanted to tell you goodbye," she said cheerfully. Cloud, tongue tied, just waved a little at the stranger. She smiled and said her goodbyes to the others before leaving. When she was safely out the door, Zack let out a sigh of relief.
Cloud pushed open the door to the kitchen with one hip as he balanced a plate in each hand. He moved to the table with ease, ignoring comments about how he looked a lot like a waiter. Angeal and Sephiroth got their plates first for their silence, and they waited for everyone to be served before commenting on their breakfast.
"What is this?" Angeal asked delicately, picking at the unidentifiable pile on his plate. Sephiroth nodded in agreement, pushing the food around.
"From what I can tell, it's some kind of small animal bacon and weirdly colored eggs. Zack, do you know what the hell Genesis brought me to cook with?"
"You don't want to know. Trust me. It's good, but you city boys would cry."
"It can't be any worse than eating wolf!" Cloud protested. Everyone looked at him as if he had grown an extra head. "There wasn't exactly a lot to choose from by way of food," he snapped at them.
"Wolf?" Genesis asked weakly.
"Yeah, it's not bad actually. I miss it," Cloud said, then laughed at the look on their faces.
-o-o-
So I rewrote the first two chapters of If Given A Chance. Check them out if you get the chance, they're a billion times better than they were.
Also, I got a request that the next vacation spot be in Nibelheim, which wasn't how I planned it out, but if everyone out there wants the gang to go their next, I can manage it, and then have them go to the other spot.
Also, if they do go to Nibelheim, should Vincent join the pairing? I know it's a lot of people, but I keep getting requests to expand it...