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I was the bag carrier for our little shopping excursion in downtown Vale. I would never admit it but it was a little fun letting Weiss and Ruby pick out clothes for me to try on for them. They dressed me in a turquoise button up shirt and jeans at a department store for example. Ruby pumped a fist and held out a hand for a high five for Weiss.

"Yes! We made him hot!"

Weiss rolled her eyes but high fived Ruby's hand anyways. "He was always conventionally attractive. Except when he was noodly. Once he got that broad chest and wide shoulders he became much more attractive."

"How about a hoodie or two?" Ruby asked Weiss.

"I haven't worn a hoodie in seriously a year or more," I cut across.

"Maybe they aren't for you. Well, they are for you. But maybe they're for us."

"What do you want with my hoodies?"

"She wants to steal them and wear them to bed."

"Just steal a shirt of mine," I suggested. "I don't mind."

"But I used to steal your bunny hoodie in Anima and wear that and it was comfortable," Ruby whined. "And I had it after Mistral and it smelled like you."

"You did?"

"She was wearing it all the time in those days after Salem took you in Mistral. I had to rustle her out of it because it started to stink. She was really depressed and your hoodie made her feel better."

I blinked. I had had no real idea of what it meant to her. I was onboard with my wifes wearing my clothes. I thought it was sexy to see them swimming in a shirt of mine. A hoodie was much the same and if they really wanted a hoodie of mine to wear around the house, then I was game. But they couldn't act like they were doing it for me. And Weiss couldn't act like it was all Ruby.

"I don't suppose you also want to wear a hoodie, Weiss?" I asked. "Or will you rise above and resist the urge."

"I might. It was comfortable sleeping in one of your shirts. Why? Do you like it when we wear your clothes?"

"It's a tiny bit sexy seeing you in something I wear with only a bra or nothing on underneath. What isn't sexy about that?"

"No. You should explain. Why does that turn you on?"

"Why does leaving love bites on your neck turn me on? It's a symbol that you're mine. So is you in my shirt or hoodie I suppose."

"You have to wear them, though. Or else they won't pick up your smell," Ruby informed me.

"See?" I pointed at Ruby. "See that desire to be around my stink? And to smell like me? That's sexy and a little proud. Like my flag flying over a ship."

"You don't stink," Weiss told me.

"You knew what I meant," I returned. "How else can I explain it? It's a sign that you want me, which is sexy. And it's a sign that you're mine, also sexy. Why do you like wearing my clothes?"

"Because I'm yours," Ruby whined and she looked up at me adorably. "I like smelling like you and smelling you all the time. I like being wrapped up in your smell. Because I love you. It makes me feel small and safe at the same time."

I pointed at Ruby. "That's sexy. Isn't it? It's adorable. And you? Weiss?"

"I liked wearing your shirt…"

"Why?" I asked teasingly. I knew she struggled with being openly affectionate the way Ruby was.

"It was comfortable…" Weiss trailed.

"It was huge on you. I thought you might drown in it."

"It's like you were hugging me."

"If you want a hug I'll give you a hug. Whenever you want one for as long as you want."

"I want to smell like you. And it's comfortable. Girl clothes are all uncomfortable. Dresses aren't comfortable. Yoga pants and bras are tight and uncomfortable. Hoodies are big and comfortable and smell like you. And we like your smell. It's associated with good memories. Smell is good for memory. What do you want?"

"You're so adorable. Like Ruby is open about it which is cute in it's own right. But with you I have to pull it out and drag it out like a confession. Is it such a horrible crime to be affectionate and want to wear my clothes?"

"You're teasing me," Weiss leveled.

"All this talk about smell makes you sound like a puppy… Poor little Weiss. Surrounded by people who love her. How will she survive?"

"I am not a puppy,"

"You're so adorable. You want to steal my hoodies and sleep in my shirts. Does it make you feel safe too?" I asked. "What am I going to do with you, Weiss?"

"I'm warning you…"

"I'll just have to love on you and kiss your forehead and squeeze you tightly. Won't I?"

"Let's just get him some hoodies and be done with it," Weiss growled.

I swooned at her. Ruby giggled a little. "And what's so funny to you?" Weiss asked. "You like wearing his clothes. This was your idea."

"But I admitted it openly."

"I admitted it too!"

"So he didn't have any power over me because I came right out and said it. You were shy and tsundere about it. So you gave him the edge over you," Ruby explained. "And he's right. You're so cute. The way you crave affection and deny it at the same time is adorable. And he and I will do something about it."

"Like what?" Weiss asked.

"We'll spit roast you," Ruby informed her. "And shower you with affection."

"If anybody is getting lit at both ends in the bedroom it's you. You're the submissive one."

"But I'm open about it. I accept that I like being dominated. You, on the other hand, try and fight it. But you always let him bend you over and pull your hair. You let him push you down and take you. You love it. But you always try and fight it by being dominant at first. You just can't seem to accept that you like being pushed around and told what to do."

"At least there's one place where I'm the boss… You girls love telling me what to do."

"Try this on," Weiss held out a hoodie to me. It was striped in grey and white. She picked out another dark blue one from the racks and folded it over her arm.

"A little like that," I pointed out.

"Don't be a ninny and put on a show for us, Cloud. Like a model," Ruby ordered.

"I'm not a model."

"But you could be," Ruby informed me.

Weiss gave an odd bob of her head that was sort of agreement. "The hair and the eyes," she said. "I hope if we have a boy then he has your hair style even if he takes my hair color."

"Are you saying that you like my hair?" I asked.

"It's so much fun to play with," Ruby agreed and giggled. She reached out and stroked a few spikey tufts of it. She had to reach pretty far to make it happen and she had to almost get up on her tip-toes. But she adorably pulled it off and while her face was close to mine I gave her a peck on the lips and smiled down on her.

She glowed a little.

"Try this one, too," Weiss put another hoodie in my arms.

"Do you like playing with my hair too, Weiss?"

"A little. I like running my hands through it."

"Aw. You didn't put up any fight that time."

"You want me to?"

"It's adorable when you do. So a little."

"But you also tease me about it?"

"As much as I can get away with. Yes."

"Men," Weiss sighed.

"What other men do you even know and like?" I asked.

"Oscar."

"He's just a boy," I dismissed. "Don't rope him in with me. He doesn't deserve that."

"Quit it, you," Weiss smacked my arm.

"No more bad mouthing yourself. I forbid it. It's forbidden now," Ruby requested.

"But that's basically all I do."

"Well, you'll have to stop I guess. Part of the battle against your illness is not having negative thoughts about yourself. Let alone orally communicating them," Weiss agreed. "Let's try this one." She handed me one more white hoodie and draped it over my arm. Then she gave me a gentle push in the direction of the changing rooms.

"What am I going to do with all these clothes you guys are making me buy? I'm still just going to wear pretty much my huntsman get-up around."

"No you're not. You're going to wear casual clothes on casual days. You can wear your hunting clothes to work and if they ever call your number for missions but on Saturdays and Sundays you will wear casual clothes and you will like it," Weiss ordered. There wasn't much I could say about that. "I like my hunting clothes too. But I also like wearing casual stuff and I want to steal your hoodies and I want them to smell like you so you better be wearing them."

"Come on, Cloud. You don't want to just see us in our hunting clothes, do you?" Ruby asked. She was wearing a sweater and yoga pants at the moment that really showed off her thighs and butt. Her hunting outfit was pretty hot though, not going to lie.

"I could look at you in that tight corset all day long."

"Well I don't want to wear that tight corset all day long. It's hard on my boobs."

"I'm hard on your boobs."

"Oh, you! Go try on those hoodies."

Ruby and Weiss sat down outside of the changing room stall and waited for me. I pulled the white hoodie over my head and stepped back out. I put both hands in the pockets.

"Well?" I asked.

"It looks good…" Weiss reached out and flattened part of it.

"Looks comfy," Ruby agreed. "Is it?"

"It's comfortable. I'd still be more comfortable in one of my tunics."

"Lounging around the house and wearing a hoodie won't kill you. You enormous baby," Weiss called me out. "Try on the blue one. I think it will match your eyes and make them pop."

I stepped back into the room and pulled the white hoodie over my head and put on the blue one. I stepped back out to show them and I spun in a circle.

Ruby clapped. "Who said hoodies can't be hot."

"The clothes make the man," Weiss agreed.

"Pretty sure that if I'm hot I'd be hot without the hoodie."

"What do you mean 'if you're hot?'" Weiss wondered.

"If I am hot."

"You're hot," Ruby informed me.

"Yeah maybe but I can't be like 'I'm hot.'"

"'Maybe' he says," Weiss shook her head in disgust. "Like pulling teeth."

"Why can't you say that you're hot?" Ruby asked.

"Uh, because I might not be."

"But you are," Ruby suggested. "You're hot. Can I say that I'm hot?"

"Of course. You're smoking," I said.

"You're smoking!" Ruby declared. "You can say you're hot."

"Can't do it."

"Cloud you're more than conventionally attractive. It's not just your personality that attracted us to you," Weiss informed me. "The princess and how many other girls were attracted to you. You're hot."

"Maybe…"

"What do you mean 'maybe?'" Weiss demanded.

"Maybe you think that but not everyone would?" I asked.

"Most people would say that you're attractive!" Weiss almost shouted in frustration.

"He's just not getting it," Ruby mumbled.

"I know. I know. It's my fault."

"How?" Ruby asked.

"He has low self esteem still because I rejected him back at Beacon."

"You can't blame yourself for that!" Ruby exclaimed. "My gods, you both would blame yourselves for the moon if you could."

"I don't know about that," Weiss disagreed. "He was young and I rejected him and he got this idea that he isn't good looking. And he is."

"Nope. Not your fault. Cloud is Cloud," Ruby disagreed. "I don't want to hear you blaming yourself for Cloud's poor self esteem. There were a lot of factors that went into this."

"But-"

"Nope!" Ruby declared. "Go try on the striped hoodie, Cloud."

I walked back into the changing room and tried it on.

I shoved both hands into my pockets and flicked a spike of hair out of my face with a twitch of my neck.

"So?" I asked.

"Yeah. I like it," Weiss decided.

"Me too. I think I like this one the most," Ruby agreed with Weiss. "Dibs on this hoodie."

"I haven't even worn it for five minutes," I pointed out.

She just grinned up at me such that she glowed.

"He could be a model for it," Weiss said. "Put that in a poster and ship it. It would sell like hotcakes."

I flushed a little under their scrutiny. I couldn't help it. I… I think that at some point I will get used to their affections and attention but I haven't yet. I felt like a kid having his crush pay attention to him except they were my girlfriends. I really shouldn't be blushing like a virgin over a few compliments from people who loved me and with whom I had had sex with. But I did.

It was a little embarrassing but Ruby leaned upwards and kissed my cheek gently and I felt strangely at ease.

"What am I trying on next?" I asked.

"Some shirts and jeans and sweatpants. A full wardrobe," Weiss decided.

"Do I really need all that?"

"Why not? Where are you going?" Weiss wondered.

"Move in with us to stay. You don't need to live light anymore. You can relax and unwind. I know it's hard. You're coiled up like a spring ready to fly at any time but you don't need to with us."

"I… I need to build my wall before I can ever really relax. I used to just make it unpleasant for my Mother to try and share headspace with me but if I'm going to unwind I need a different sort of mental defense."

"And?" Ruby pressed. "Can you do it?"

"I don't know… It's not easy to focus on everything they have me on. They're trying to treat my panic with these sedatives which make it hard to have the kind of concentration I need. I have to have a kind of mental fortitude that I almost just can't on these sedatives. My meds… they're leaving me vulnerable in a way."

"Do you regret it? Do you hate me for asking you to quit greens?" Weiss asked.

"I'd never hate you…"

"But do you regret giving it up?"

"I'm not comfortable. But I wasn't really comfortable on the greens either."

"So what are you saying?" Weiss continued.

"I'm saying I'm not sure yet. I'm saying I don't know. I don't know how to be better. I don't really have a clear picture of what my mental defenses are supposed to look like in this new world I'm living in."

"Thank you so much for trying. For me. Because I asked you to. I… it means a lot to me. Knowing what you're going through and what you're willing to go through basically on a whim of mine."

"I couldn't be trusted around children while taking propsychotics… I wouldn't call that a whim. I don't blame you or hold it against you. And I could never hate you. I'm in love with you. What you're asking from me is hard. And I don't know if it's possible until I really try. So I have to really try. You know what I mean?"

"I do. And I'm so grateful to you for it."

"I am too," Ruby agreed. "If Weiss hadn't asked you to… then I should have. I don't know if I would have or not. But I should have."

"You're both definitely welcome…" I trailed. I wasn't sure what they were looking for but this seemed to be it. Ruby nodded and Weiss gently patted me on the shoulder.

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-WG