Chapter 4 - Hot Summer Day
Cloud placed the dishes in the rack to dry and sighed. Well, breakfast had gone well. Now then, about clothes . . .
It was obvious that Denzel's things were too big for either of them, given that Len had now tripped for the third time on his own pantlegs. Rin's shoulder kept showing from the neck-hole, so it was a little obvious they were in need of clothes.
Cloud walked over and took a clothes pin to tighten the neck on Rin's shirt. "Just hold still. We're going out to get you clothes anyway, just . . . there."
Rin blinked, tugging at the shirt a moment. "It doesn't fall off." she said, quite surprised. "Huh?"
Cloud was cuffing up the legs on Len's pants. "How old are you two, anyway?" he asked as he finished.
"About fourteen." Len replied.
Cloud sighed. They were about the same age as Denzel was. Well, that made a few things easier. He remembered some things from his own childhood growing up with the girls in the village (he'd been the only boy in the village for years). "Come on. We need to go out for a bit."
The twins followed him out. "We're not going to see the bitchy lady today, are we?" asked Rin.
"Huh?" Cloud asked, looking down at her.
"The one with the brown hair and the big boobs." Len replied.
Cloud snickered at the description. "That's Tifa, and we're not going to the bar today."
"Where are we going, then?" Rin asked.
"Well, first we have to stop by Cid's shop to see about a side car for Fenrir."
"Who's Fenrir?" Len asked.
"My motorcycle." Cloud replied. "It's the model type, but I've just always called it that."
"Oh." Rin thought for a moment. "But, why's it need a side car?"
"Well, I can't be leaving you two alone all the time, so I figured when there's good weather I'd take you two with me for the deliveries. But I can't do that without a side car, since there's no space on the back of Fenrir for two people and the parcels."
"Cool." said Len. He tripped on his pant leg again, falling flat on the ground.
"You alright?" asked a big man wearing a white shirt and jeans, and chewing on a toothpick.
Len looked up at him. "Um, uh . . ."
"Hey, Cid." said Cloud, trying to let Len know it was ok to talk to the man.
"I'm ok." Len said, getting up and dusting his pants off.
"Those look a little big for him, Cloud." Cid smiled.
"We're taking care of that after the visit." Cloud replied. "Shera around? I wouldn't mind meeting your twins."
"He's got twins?!" the pair chirped.
Cid grinned. "She's in the workshop right now with the kids." He led them over to where three kids ranging from four to one wandered around on child tethers, and two newborns were snuggled together in a stroller.
Len and Rin both kinda just stared at the babies for a bit. "Little people." said Rin softly.
Len nodded. "Very little." he added.
Cloud smiled. "They're adorable, Cid." He gently rubbed the head of Cid's oldest child, the four-year old. This one had been just newly born when he'd taken on Kadaj, and it had torn Cid apart to be away from Shera just after their first child. It had hurt even more when he'd helped the WRO assault on Midgar a year later, when he'd missed the birth of his second child, and his first daughter. Since then, whenever it got close to Shera's due dates, there was no prying Cid from her side.
"Thanks." Shera smiled. She looked at Len and Rin. "It's ok to touch them."
"Really?" Rin asked, her huge eyes looking at Shera. "But I don't want to break them."
Cloud and Cid walked a short distance away while Shera helped the twin sit and hold the new babies. "They look so stiff holding them." Cloud said.
"Eh, they'll ease into it." Cid grinned. "So, I doubt your here for just a social call, Cloud. What do you need?"
"A side car for Fenrir."
Cid spit his stick out and looked at Cloud with a raised eyebrow. "You serious?"
Cloud nodded. "They panicked when I left them at home alone, and I'm try to find ways that won't end up with them in either Tifa's care or like Denzel, so . . ."
Cid put his hand on Cloud's shoulder. "I may have what you need. I'll be over later to fit it to yer bike."
Cloud handed him the garage key. "I have a bit of shopping to do with these two, so here's the key to get into the garage. Just bring a bone for Bruno."
"The guard dog. Alright." Cid smiled and fished another stick out of his pocket.
"Oh, right, you quit smoking after the first one was born. I'd almost forgot." said Cloud. He scratched the back of his head and bit his lip. He was in need of a smoke, but wasn't sure if he should.
"Outside with it." Cid told him. "Shera and I can watch 'em for the few minute it takes for that habit."
"Thanks." Cloud stepped out and lit up his cigarette. The light buzz from the nicotine wasn't really why he smoked, not initially. It had been an escape at first, a way to divert his mind from a mistake he'd made. Eventually, the addictiveness had caught up to him, and he was often found outside having a smoke at least three times a day.
Lightly breathing the tainted air out his nose, Cloud sighed. This was something he was going to have to tell the twins about as well, even though he was sure they already knew. His clothes reaked of smoke, but it would probably be better to just be up front about it.
A hand touched his, and Cloud nearly jumped. Looking down, he spotted Rin. "Hey."
Rin just blinked at him for a moment. "Why are you smoking?" she finally asked.
"It helps me relax." Cloud replied. "I know I should quit, but I haven't been able to."
"It's ok." Rin said. "Len does, too."
Cloud looked at her. "What?" he asked. "He's too young to get these."
"He picks them off the ground." Rin replied. She looked up at Cloud. "I drink."
Cloud sighed. "Well, that's more incentive to quit." he said, rubbing out the stub in his palm. "And as for you, the occasional drink is alright, if it's in moderation."
"When it's all you can get, it doesn't really make a difference." Rin replied. "But ok."
Just then, Len seemed to appear on Cloud's other side. He put his hand out. "Can I?"
Cloud sighed. "When we get home." he said. "Looks like we're both quitting this."
Len frowned, but a look from Rin told him Cloud was doing this for their benefit. He nodded, and they waved goodbye to Cid and his family as they headed towards the clothing store.
The store wasn't air-conditioned. In fact, the four fans on the ceiling didn't rotate, either, making the place seem stuffy. Cloud picked through the clothes, trying to find decent things to dress them in.
"This ok?" Cloud asked, holding up a pink shirt against Rin.
The girl smiled. "I like it." she said. She spotted Len looking at a sundress. "You can't wear dresses, Len."
"I thought it might look nice on you." Len replied.
"Well, we can get one if she wants one." Cloud blinked at the style. It was white and blue, similar to a dress Aerith used to wear. He remembered it from a picture Zack had shown were even flowers sewn into the one shoulder strap. "I think it would work." he said. He checked the boys clothes, even as the twins picked out another dress to put Rin in as well.
Len wasn't all that picky. He said whatever Cloud picked out was alright. But he did seem to prefer shorts over pants, so Cloud only bought two pair of jeans for him.
Getting underwear was interesting. Cloud knew that since Rin was a girl, a chest covering was necessary, but he didn't get what her problem was when he got the underwear.
"No, no, no." Rin argued. "I'm not wearing boy's underwear."
Cloud blinked at her. "But, it just covers the parts the same, doesn't it?"
"No boy's underwear." Rin stated. "Girl's underwear." She handed him a package of pink frillies.
Cloud shuddered. He had bad memories of those kinds of things that he really wished would abandon his brain at some point. The horrifying memory of Tifa and six of her friends putting him in girl's clothes was one memory he wanted forgotten. Then there was that pretty satin number that Aerith had put him in . . .
He paid for the clothes and headed out before he could obtain any more mental scars.
Len seemed a little out of it, actually, dragging his feet some as they stepped back outside into the warm, stale city air.
"You ok?" Cloud asked.
Len nodded. "Just a little . . ." He dropped suddenly, falling to the floor as they entered the house.
"Len!" Rin shrieked.
"Just stay with him." said Cloud. He pulled his phone out and dialed Elena.
"Cloud?" Elena asked as she answered the phone.
"I need help." Cloud said. "He collapsed."
"Who collapsed?"
"The boy. I need help, something's wrong with him."
"I'll be over soon." The phone clicked, and Cloud put it down and headed back to the door.
"Is he going to be alright?" Rin asked.
"Elena should be here soon." Cloud replied, watching out the door. He answered as soon as Elena walked up the steps.
Rin blinked. The girl had pale-blonde hair and a kind face, but her belly was rather large. "Can you help my brother?" she asked.
Elena turned and smacked Cloud. "He just fell there, didn't he?" she asked.
Cloud nodded.
"You should have moved him, at least to the couch." she scolded. She put a hand on her belly and sighed.
Cloud picked Len up and moved him to the couch. "So, what's wrong with him?" he asked.
Elena checked the boy's forehead, then his pulse. "Hmm?" She paused and put her hand on her stomach again, rubbing her belly.
Len blinked awake, suddenly coughing. Cloud turned and got a bottle of water, handing to Len so he could drink.
"How'd you know that one?" Elena asked as she stood up carefully.
"Dry cough." Cloud replied. "I get it sometimes, too."
"It wouldn't be from that bad habit you picked up off of Reno, now, would it?"
Cloud nodded, feeling a little guilty.
Len gasped after downing the whole bottle, coughing a little. "Oh, my head." he groaned.
"Well, Cloud, just to let you know, he has heat stroke." Elena said. "Just make sure he gets more water while he's outside, and it should be alright."
Cloud nodded.
"Now, is there anything else you need help with?"Elena asked, noting the bags of clothes in the corner.
"What's the difference between boys and girls underwear? Aside from the flap and frills." Cloud asked.
"Girls don't need the flap, Cloud." Elena replied. "A smoother surface is more preferable for girls, too."
Cloud scratched his head.
"You don't understand still, do you?" Elena asked.
"Not really." Cloud replied. "Besides, don't the frills itch?"
Elena giggled. "Not really." she smiled. "You understand why boy's need the flap, right?"
Cloud nodded, giving her the 'I am a guy' look.
"Girls aren't built that way, so the underwear isn't the same."
"Oh."
Elena sighed, wondering just how clueless her cousin could be.
"Cloud." said Rin, suddenly appearing from seemingly nowhere. "Why's she got a big belly?"
Elena laughed at the bluntness. "I'm pregnant." she replied. "Six months along."
Rin blinked at her a moment, then smiled. "A baby?" she asked.
Elena nodded.
"Ok." Rin bounced back to where Len was sitting.