There is no excuse for how long I waited to write this one. I'm sorry, please forgive me. I hope you like the chapter at least. There are weapons.
-o-o-
Cloud sighed for the umpteenth time as he pouted. Zack and Sephiroth were banished to a six foot distance and Genesis and Angeal replaced them next to Cloud. The path was narrow and rocky and steep and Zack had been the one to suggest the damn thing and Sephiroth had told him that it wasn't that bad.
Cloud wasn't enhanced like them, he tired much more quickly but apparently they expected him to suck it up because "it isn't that bad, Cloud." No! Cloud was gonna complain all he wanted and they weren't allowed to say a thing. Angeal and Genesis could walk with him instead, even if Angeal did roll his eyes when Cloud blew up at Sephiroth and Zack.
Cloud strode angrily up the path, deliberately not looking back at the apologetic faces of his lovers. When he came to the top of them hill he meant to keep right on going, but he slowed. The landscape before him tilted oddly and he felt distantly sick. He brushed his hand over his arm and felt a little moisture, but not enough.
Was it just him, or did the sun seemed a little darker?
"Uh," his hand shot out to grab Genesis and Angeal steadied him as he swayed on his feet. "I don't feel... Think I'm gonna... Pass out..."
Sephiroth and Zack were there in an instant, despite Cloud's weak protests. Sephiroth picked him up and Cloud buried his head into his chest. There was a tensing of muscles and air seemed to be rushing passed them at great speed. The air felt good and it brought him closer to consciousness. Then they stopped and Sephiroth hefted him higher and Cloud heard splashes.
"Put him in, Seph, don't worry about his clothes, just toss me his sword," Zack called. Cloud looked up as Angeal jumped into the water and unbuckled his sword from his waist. Angeal tossed it to the shore and Cloud twisted around weakly to see they were standing waist deep in a river.
Sephiroth lowered Cloud a bit and Angeal splashed some water over him and he blinked rapidly, feeling the daze in his mind clear. He reached over and positioned Cloud in Sephiroth's arms so that he could be easily dipped into the water and Sephiroth eased him into the rushing water.
"Oh!" Cloud grunted in surprise, shying away from the rapids.
"It's all right," Sephiroth whispered into his ear, wrapping one hand around his waist as the other kept him from tumbling into the water. "I've got you."
"So you do," Cloud said. He wrapped his arms back around Sephiroth. "I don't want to go all the way in; I was just feeling a little off, really."
All the men snorted in disbelief and Cloud pouted. He belatedly realized that he couldn't see Genesis anywhere. "Where's Genesis?"
"He went to find some drinkable water," Angeal answered.
"He didn't have to," Cloud fretted. "I'm okay. I was just feeling a little dizzy."
"Of course you think he didn't have to, but you didn't see the look on your face," Angeal said sternly. He cupped his hands in the water and brought them over Cloud's head and let the water trickle out and Cloud turned his face up to feel the cool water against his face.
Sephiroth peered down at him in guilty amusement. "You're really red, Cloud. I think you might be sunburned."
"Wouldn't surprise me," Cloud muttered.
Cloud heard another splash and twisted in Sephiroth's arms to see Genesis with a bottle of water in his hand. He offered it to Angeal, who accepted it and broke the sealing and offered it to Cloud, who was fidgeting in Sephiroth's grip.
"Genesis, you didn't have to do that, I'm fine!" Cloud insisted.
"You keep telling yourself that, someday you might just believe it," Genesis teased with a smirk. "For someone as enhanced as me, running back to Gongaga really quick wasn't that hard."
The affronted expression on Cloud's face was priceless and Genesis couldn't resist leaning in to kiss his forehead tenderly. "Sorry for rubbing it in."
Cloud stuck his tongue out at him and turned back to Angeal and let the man tilt the bottle into his mouth. Cloud drank deeply and was surprised by how thirsty he really was.
"Thanks Genesis," he said when he finished it.
"You're welcome kitten. Did you want to continue to the weapons shop or did you just want to go back to the room?" he asked.
"I wanna see all the pretty weapons," Cloud nodded to himself, and then craned his head to smile at Sephiroth. "Can you carry me? Please?"
"Of course," Sephiroth smiled right back at him. "Anything you want, you get."
Cloud only saw a little spark of an idea in Sephiroth's eyes before he was hoisted up and cradled in one arm. He walked calmly to the shore where Zack was perched on a rock and, without warning, pulled him up into his free arm.
"Let's go, shall we?" he asked Angeal and Genesis.
-o-o-
"Man, I can't believe it. This place is just like I remember," Zack marveled as he opened the door and a small bell chimed, announcing them. He had demanded to be let down from Sephiroth's hold before they got within seeing distance of Gongaga. As bouncy and distractible as he was, he wanted a reputation in his hometown.
"Were you here often?" Sephiroth asked, looking over the weapons and items on display.
"Oh yeah. It's always been my dream to be in SOLDIER, didn't you know? I remember before I came to Midgar I saved all the money I could and bought a sword. It was a piece of junk, of course, because I didn't have too much money, but man I loved swinging it around."
"What happened to this sword of yours?" Angeal asked, smiling at the reminiscent look on Zack's face.
"It broke," he sighed. "Like I said, it was a piece of junk. No money to buy a new one at the time either..."
"You didn't have much money either, did you?" Cloud asked.
"Nope, you?"
"I'm a cadet from a backwater town. I grew up with no money and still have no money," Cloud declared from his spot in Sephiroth's arms. "We fed ourselves and didn't have those fancy store things where you could buy whatever food you felt like. The only reason I have nice things now is because I have amazing boyfriends."
Sephiroth, who had been looking over the swords on display, was suddenly very busy with a squirming blonde in his arms and attached to his lips. Sephiroth was forced to put Cloud down when he squirmed too much and he was in danger of loosing him grip on the cadet.
"Love you," Cloud said when he pulled away. Sephiroth smiled softly down at him.
"Love you too. Next time I'd appreciate some warning, though. Do you see anything you like?" Sephiroth asked, eyes drawn to the shining blades once more.
"Yes. You." Cloud couldn't seem to remove his lips from Sephiroth's and decided that even if he could, he wouldn't. He liked the feeling. But then he pulled away so Cloud attached himself to Sephiroth's neck. He made a strangled noise as Cloud's mouth went to work.
"I'm taking him outside until he calms down," Sephiroth gasped, trying to gently pull Cloud off of him. Cloud made a noise and lifted himself into Sephiroth's arms again instead. "Gaia... Look for something he might like until I get him calmed down."
"What's gotten into you, Cloud?" Zack laughed. "Do weapons excite you or something? We could totally spice up our sex life if you want."
Sephiroth made a rather rude gesture at Zack before retreating outside with Cloud still on his neck.
"Seriously, Cloud's a freaking maniac sometimes," Zack said fondly. "He's never done something like this before though. I think he's strange because he's blonde. Don't tell him I said that."
-o-o-
Cloud, somewhat calmed down, was lying on Sephiroth's chest as they relaxed deep in the cover of the tropical forest. Sephiroth rocked him slowly, keeping all his questions inside for now.
When they left the shop Cloud had begun attempting to strip him and, when Sephiroth pried him off and demanded what he was doing, begun to act like a child or the spoiled kitten Genesis called him sometimes. When Cloud threw his hissy fit, Sephiroth had calmed him enough to come to a secluded place to talk. When they got to a suitable place, Cloud sat on a downed tree with a downcast expression and when Sephiroth sat he pulled the blonde close and they were quiet.
"Cloud?" Sephiroth asked hesitantly. He was afraid to get another blow up like the one he had just witnessed. Privately he recalled what Cloud looked like naked because it was as if Cloud was going through mood swings. He hoped Cloud wasn't pregnant. Not that he wouldn't like children, it's just Cloud was scary when he was going through emotions like a roulette wheel.
"I'm sorry," Cloud mumbled. "I don't know why I was acting like that..."
"What's going on, Cloud?" Sephiroth asked, tilting Cloud's face up so he could look him in the eye. He cursed under his breath to see tears in Cloud's sky blue eyes. "What's wrong?"
"I think it was the weapon store... It was really big and there were so many things..."
"That store is fairly big for this area, but in Midgar it would be considered small," Sephiroth said in confusion. A few tears fell and Sephiroth scrambled to figure out what was wrong.
"I was scared," Cloud said. "I tried to distract myself."
"Scared of what, love?" Sephiroth asked in his most soothing voice.
"Angeal and Genesis," Cloud whispered. "You said... You don't trust them and there were so many weapons..."
"Oh Cloud," Sephiroth breathed a sigh of relief. "You kissed me as a distraction?"
"Yes, I wanted to get out and I knew you'd take me out then. I got scared when you said we'd be back."
"That's why you acted the way you did," he finished. "Cloud, it's okay. Genesis and Angeal... I have doubts, but they are meaningless. I only told you because I thought you should be informed should something happen. And if either of them had tried anything to harm you or Zack I would have slaughtered them."
"You can say that so easily," Cloud gave a short pained laugh. "You're so much better than me."
Sephiroth snarled and pinned Cloud to the dead tree they were sitting on. He leaned in until his nose brushed Cloud's and spoke in a deadly whisper.
"Don't say that. You will never say that because there is no one, NO ONE that is better than you are. You're juts not as enhanced as we are, but you will be. I bet you'll be the strongest of all of us."
Sephiroth released Cloud, who had begun to cower slightly. He hugged the blonde and was relieved to feel him relax against him.
"There you are," Zack sighed in relief. "We've been looking for y'all for awhile.
"And you found us," Cloud chirped, not giving away how scared he had just been. "So let's go."
"What?" Angeal asked in confusion.
"Back to the shop, of course, I'm done being annoying, I wanna see the weapons!"
Zack, Angeal and Genesis traded confused looks and Sephiroth juts smiled lightly.
-o-o-
Now calm, Cloud was acting very much like a child in the world's biggest toy store. His eyes were wide and they took in every little thing as Sephiroth explained what exactly each weapon's attributes were.
"You should totally get broadsword!" Zack exclaimed, looking at one of fairly high quality. He picked it up and tested the balance on it. While it was good, it wasn't as good as he would like. He returned it to its stand and moved to the next one.
"Zack, that thing is bigger than me, it's almost bigger than you, even, I doubt I can even hold that thing, let along upright," Cloud argued. "Right now I just want to get good at using a sword; I can pick which specialty later."
"You have a sword; this is just as a precaution. It's really best if you can wield different types," Sephiroth argued. "Although I do agree that Zack is an idiot for thinking you could use that sword."
"How about a mace?" Genesis called from the other side of the store. "I bet that would be a huge surprise. I'd go with a mace if I were you."
"No," Cloud laughed. "No maces, but thank you though."
"An ax?" Genesis asked. "Axes are really very pretty weapons, though I prefer swords myself. I could respect someone that uses an ax."
"Genesis, shut up," Angeal sighed. He was the only one being even remotely practical in Cloud's opinion. Sephiroth was examining crossbows of all things, Genesis was moving through the axes and Zack was still testing the broadswords.
"Have you ever considered a spear?" Angeal asked. "Some SOLDIERs use them on missions that require stealth and speed. It's much easier to carry around."
"Hm, that might be good to learn," Cloud agreed. "But now I just want something I could be good at by time I get back."
"That's not a big time frame," he said doubtfully. "There are smaller weapons used in Wutai. They have shuriken."
"I'm not sure my aim would be that great," Cloud admitted. "But I like the thought of a smaller blade. Just in case."
"I think they may have some. Granted, the shorter blade would be worse in all out combat but in a desperate situation it would definitely come in handy," Angeal judged. They both walked away from Zack and Sephiroth while Cloud tried to calm himself. His fears were forgotten once Cloud laid eyes on the most beautiful weapon he had ever had the privilege of seeing.
It was a sword that was longer than the one he had now and broader as well. He abandoned the path to the shorter blades and picked it up. It was heavy, he wouldn't lie, but he was sure he could get used to it in time.
"Do you like that one?" a voice asked from behind. "Not many people pay attention to that one, not when it can't equip materia."
Cloud turned to see the owner of the store. He sized Cloud up at once.
"Isn't that thing a little big for you?" he asked cynically.
"Yes," Cloud allowed. "Can you tell me more about it?"
"It's cursed. Don't bother with it," the man growled. "It gets everyone that wields it killed."
"W-what happens to them?"
"The sword devours their soul," he said. "It leaves a shell of utter destruction behind. You don't want that sword."
Cloud looked back at the blade in his hands and thought for a moment. Angeal had realized Cloud wasn't with him and returned just as the other three found them.
"I want it still," Cloud announced. "I don't care, I really like it."
"Finally, some interest," Zack exclaimed. He gently took the sword and tested it while Sephiroth tried to talk to the owner. "It seems pretty decent. We'll have to get you used to the added weight though."
"Just take it," the man said abruptly. "I don't want that sword here anymore, just take it."
Cloud watched helplessly as the man strode away angrily.
"What was that about?" Genesis grumbled.
"He said the sword was cursed," Cloud supplied quietly. "But I really like it."
"Of course, trust you to like the evil sword," Zack breathed. "But I really don't see anything wrong with it. It's high quality. Even for it being cursed, it's still probably worth a lot more than free."
"I'm sorry for my husband," a light voice said and they all looked. There was a woman standing there looking worn. "He hates that sword."
"What's wrong with it?" Angeal took the chance to ask.
"Nothing really. Our son used it years ago but... He passed away. I think it's best if you just took the sword and left," the woman explained tiredly. She turned and left just as abruptly as before.
Zack handed the sword back and steered Cloud out of the shop as the others followed.
Cursed or not... The sword felt so right in his hands.
-o-o-
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