After Cloud quietly closed his apartment door, he took a moment to look over the second-floor railing at the rest of the neighborhood. Truthfully, there wasn't a whole lot to take in –just a lot of half-haphazardly built shanty buildings, first roads, and metal… so much metal– but it did distract him from the tiny blonde woman –the parasite wearing his mother's face– happily bouncing in place to his left, her austere Nibelheim cut dress swishing from the motion. The merc pointedly ignored her as he took in a deep breath of somewhat fresh morning air, trying to clear his head.

Even 24 hours after his encounter with Marco – 12 of which spent either passed out or forced into bed to rest because of said fainting – he was finally up and walking, if... still a jumbled mess of memories and new knowledge. Yet… Cloud also never felt more focused, sharp even. Like he had just taken a shot of black coffee and could –now in painful clarity– see the cluttered paperwork of his psyche piled high, and waiting ominously to be sorted.

And that damn annoyance to his left started shadowboxing in the air, her long sleeves flopping with every weak jab –a pitiful attempt at imitating Tifa's morning routine before she left to open her bar– unmindful her constant movement was giving him a headache.

No, from the slight smirk on "Claudia Strife's" stupidly beautiful face, she knew exactly how he felt…

Exhaling silently –and trying to keep the annoyance out of his actions, lest he encouraged her– Cloud firmly turned to his left to start his day.

The little blonde parasite followed close by, practically skipping in her wools as she trailed him to room 201.

Standing in front of Tifa's old apartment, the infantryman knocked firmly to get the tomboy's attention.

"One second, I'm coming!"

Thirty seconds later, his new "assistant" finally made her appearance –door half opened, hat hanging from her teeth, and hands trying to work her new gun belt on– and practically tripped out of the entrance.

"Kyrie… I thought Tifa told you to get ready an hour ago?" Cloud tiredly, reaching out to stop her fumbling fingers from making more of a mess, as he helped her straighten out and tighten the belt on her hips. Backing up slightly to inspect his work, and satisfied with what he saw, the merc motioned up and down her body with a hand. "This is not ready. You still don't even have your shoes on…"

"Oh right, right!" The teen said smushing her hat on her hair, not even a little embarrassed at her unprofessionalism, before pushing her door open again and reaching for her boots by the side. Tugging them one at a time as she hopped in place, she looked up at him with a wide grin once she got both on. "So boss, where to first? Off to Seventh Heaven for some grub before we get to work?"

Instead of answering, Cloud took a moment to look the girl over, inspecting her face… especially that overly bright and eager smile. Kyrie already made a bad impression on their first day on the job by being late, even after Tifa came to wake her up. Yet… the blonde couldn't even work up the effort to stay irritated with the teen.

She was at least enthusiastic ... which was more than he could say about himself when he first started working.

Had even volunteered to help organize his mercenary request with Tifa yesterday when he had his fainting spell with Marco.

Hell, she and Nellie had kept him company when his girlfriends forced him to stay in bed before they left for work.

The two even cobbled together a half-decent sandwich when he was feeling hungry…

And maybe … the fact that he now knew Kyrie wanted to sleep with him, and her subsequent actions to show said interest… may have curbed any usual annoyance he'd have with the teen for her unpreparedness.

Just knowing that someone wanted you, did a lot for your tolerance for them as a person.

(Plus she's cute.) The blonde woman next to her said with a scholarly air, rubbing one finger along her chin as she looked Kyrie over hungrily. (It's scientifically impossible to stay mad at cute things.)

Cloud ignored her.

"U-uh hey… you got something to say?" Kyrie said teasingly, even boldly, despite how unsteady her words were. Or even how stained red her face was. Straightening her back and tilting her head up to look at him, hands subconsciously wringing together nervously, she asked. "Or are you so enamored by my beauty, that cat's got your tongue?"

"More like wondering where you got that gun," Cloud murmured, skating over her attempt at flirting, trying not to let the way her face fell get to him. "Where'd you get that thing anyway?"

But how was he supposed to respond!?

Cloud wasn't against flirting in general, especially since the two of them had a date lined up in a couple of days. It's just… he's never been the smoothest with words. Never had much experience with it in general, to be honest, outside of a few pitiful attempts with his childhood friend. And each attempt had been a painful experience, leaving him more red-faced than humanly possible. But blessedly… his current girls didn't particularly mind his terrible way with words. Tifa in fact, seemed to find everything he said to be funny or charming, even the very stupid stuff. Jessie tended to fill up the dead air with her own topics, answering her own questions before he could put his foot in his mouth, basically having a one-woman conversation. From what little time he had hung out with Nayo outside of sex, she seemed to not mind him just sitting there as she worked on a personal project or read a book.

The next three, however, expected a bit more out of him… and Cloud could honestly say, he was struggling.

Besides, now wasn't really the time for it, he reasoned… they had work to get to!

"Oh…" Kyrie said slowly, she had a rather put-off expression that had the merc already mentally kicking himself. Visibly shaking herself out of her reverie, and putting a bright smile back on her face."I got it from Nellie! She had it in her bug-out bag, and said I can have it for my mercenary jobs until she can get me something a bit more custom-made!"

(You're an absolute monster.) The blonde woman admonished him, fist on her hips as she glared up at him from eight inches below. (It takes a lot of courage to make the first move, you dolt! I demand you make it up to her for being such a jerk, this instant! …give her a kiss.)

'Shut up Jenova.' Cloud shot back in his head, sending every ounce of malicious he could in their odd mental link.

(Why are you always so rude to me? If you understood half the good things I've–)

'Maybe if you weren't wearing my dead mother's face, I might be a little more lenient.'

(Hey, this is partly your fault too.) The alien said with a shrug of her shoulders. (When we made first contact I tried appearing as the most beautiful person you've ever seen, to not freak you out. Not my fault that deep in your subconscious that's your mom. It's weirdly kind of sweet… if with a lot of unresolved baggage…)

'Well, then change it!'

(Nope, don't have the juice for it! We're locked in for a while with this face ) Jenova said, tracing her phantasmal hands just above Kyrie's curves. (But maybe if you slept with a few more girls like I tried explaining to you… I could do something about it.)

In the conscious world, the argument was interrupted when the teen then promptly took out the snub-nosed revolver to show him… and forced him to lean to the side so it wasn't pointed right at him.

"Please tell me that thing isn't loaded." The "Soldier" asked as he gently grabbed it, aiming it up and further away. "And you and I are going to talk about gun safety, especially if you're going to be waving that thing around like that. I refuse to get shot in the head because you got an itchy trigger finger."

"Heheh… sorry." Kyrie apologized, shoulders hunched up and rubbing her neck in embarrassment, before perking up as if she remembered something. "Oh, but don't worry, it's not loaded or anything! I got all the bullets right here in my pocket." She patted the right pouch of her crop top coat. "And Nellie even said she took out the pin so it wouldn't go off by accident… whatever that is. Said I should wear the holster to get used to the weight, but not use it till she and Jessie can take me to the shooting range."

"Sensible…" Cloud acknowledged, eyes looking her over to make sure the teen wasn't… well, not lying, but at least bending her words. His short time with Kyrie had taught him the half-Wutain wasn't above stretching the truth if she thought it was in her favor… and wasn't actively hurting anyone. But well, a bullet in the back would definitely hurt… thankfully, she didn't seem to be fibbing.

Sighing, he finally let go and motioned his junior to follow him downstairs.

"Well… enough dilly-dallying I guess. C'mon, let's head over to the Watch and see what they got for us. It might just be a bunch of monster requests – which you gonna stay away from and watch from the side – but occasionally they got something interesting that you might be able to help me with–"

"Wait, wait! We're not going to the bar?" Kyrie asked in surprise, trailing after him as they headed for the stairs, and grabbing his arm to stop him. "What about breakfast? You know… most important meal of the day…"

"Yeah, maybe an hour ago when we had time," Cloud said absentmindedly, mind already on what kind of job might be at the watch and not really paying attention to the girl… at least till he noticed the tomboy's rather adorable pout. Unable to stop himself, he chuckled a little as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led them down. Jessie always said she appreciated him being more physical. Tifa too, although she never said it in so many words. "Look, I don't typically eat at the bar this early anyway, too much traffic, but we can get something on the way over."

"...you buying?" Kyrie asked somewhat shyly but eagerly, both hands reaching up to wrap around his hanging arm as she blushed a little.

"Yes, you little brat, I'm buying." The merc said with a slight smirk, even as he had to stop the roll of his eyes at the question. "What do you want anyway? Nothing greasy mind you, not this early. Tifa would kill me if I didn't at least try to eat something healthy once in a while."

He tried not to let the question annoy him, even if it was by a small amount… he'd heard variations of it enough times by now that he should be used to it.

Yet it still irked him that the girls felt the need to ask.

It was in times like these, that Cloud had to remember this was Midgar, not Nibelheim. This wasn't the country where the men were expected to take the lead in all things, no matter how capable their ladies were. But women were much more "take charge" in the city, and trying to figure out who was going to pay was a legitimate decision. Even now he had to fight that instinct to stop his girlfriends from reaching their wallets whenever they wanted to buy something. Had even scolded him at times when he tried to pull out his money first.

And truthfully, it was a big drain on his savings, trying to be "gentlemanly" with three girls… let alone, the potential six he might end up dating.

Not very practical.

It was a learning process, but one he was determined to master… if only to stop getting jokingly –and sometimes not so jokingly– accused of being "sexist", for not respecting their autonomy.

But that being said, he wasn't going to bend on paying for meals, no matter what they thought. That was one bit of mountain village culture he wasn't going to give up on, no matter how hard they tried to convince him otherwise. Thankfully, Tifa had eventually, if begrudgingly, relented… with the other girls agreeing to let him have that bit of vice. Though… getting Jessie to agree hadn't been that hard, considering she was perpetually broke.

Still, it wasn't the teen's fault he had these hang-ups.

(Oh no! Women that want to pay for you! What a terrible thing!) Jenova said in mock horror, hands on her cheeks as if she couldn't stand the injustice.

"We~ll, if it's dealer's choice…" Kyrie said with a smile unaware of his internal struggle, pretending to make a decision as she leaned a little more into his shoulder, but the spark in her eyes made it clear she already knew what she wanted. "There's this wonderful seafood sandwich shop on the way there that we could swing by. I heard it's even fresh! You didn't hear it from me, but apparently the owner has a deal with some smugglers from–"

"Well, don't you two look comfy."

Cloud felt Kyrie jump in his arms, almost tossing them to the ground as if expecting an attack… only keeping upright due to the fact that he was probably twice the teen's weight.

(I like her game.) Jenova said approvingly, looking over Kyrie clinging to Cloud with a critical eye. (She's playing the startled damsel up to get handsy with you. A little overdone, but I approve of the effort.)

'Well… it's working.' Cloud thought, knowing someone told her he had a bit of a hero complex, already feeling his arms tighten around her protectively. 'If Kyrie and the other girls keep working me over like this, Imma end up barking on command soon.'

Recognizing the voice, the "Soldier" in turn looked to the left lazily to meet the amused eyes of Marle, sitting on her porch with her dog… and another old lady? And one he's never seen before. Cloud knew Marle was fairly popular around sector 7, despite her acid tongue (Or maybe that was just for him?) and enjoyed her golden years "hanging out" with said friends when she wasn't guarding her property like a hawk… so her having company wasn't unexpected, but new people always got his guard up.

Though, the somewhat rotund and diminutive stranger didn't seem dangerous –or even all that inclined to get off of her seat– if anything she looked content to kick back and stretch her knees out.

Still, the way the woman's eyes seemed to trail Cloud's arms around Kyrie… well, it made his spine shiver.

"Morning Marle." He said, trying to sound casual and ignore his instincts telling him to get ready for a fight. Nodding to the woman next to his landlady, he asked. "Who's… uh, who's your friend–"

A sudden squeak from his arms cut him off.

"G-grandma! What are you doing here!?" Kyrie asked in surprise, no longer faking her reaction after peeking around to see the person who "startled" her. Spinning full in his arms to face the old ladies on the porch, the junior merc seemed torn between burning herself deeper into Cloud's chest or making a break for it back to her room. Instead, she firmly stepped out of his arms, a little red-necked at having been caught in such an intimate situation.

"What are you doing here, she asks." The person who was apparently Mirielle Dudley repeated mockingly, exchanging a "can you believe this girl" type of look with Marle, who snorted with a grin in response. "Oh, I don't know… how about tracking down my wayward granddaughter who hasn't contacted me in the last three days?"

"Whu– I…um, left you a note?"

"Where? I'm your head?" Mirielle asked sarcastically, giving her granddaughter a very unimpressed look. "Thinking about doing it isn't the same as actually doing it, Kyrie. You nearly gave this old lady a heart attack."

"S-Sorry? Look a lot of things been happening… and I got good reasons to flaking–"

"Yeah? Like your boyfriend over here?" Ms. Dudley asked, tilting her chin in Cloud's direction, where he was standing just over her granddaughter's shoulder. The old woman gave him a once over with her eyes before scoffing. "Never would have thought you'd go all mushy in the head for some pretty boy–"

"My name's Cloud." The merc interrupted, tired of getting talked around, instead of to. "And you're being unfair, she–"

"Ah, the knight in shining armor speaks!" Marle cut in, cackling at some unknown joke, hand over her chest as if she couldn't hold back her mirth.

"Bout time too." Mireille laughed as she jostled her friend, acting like they just saw the funniest thing in the world. "Five minutes he just stood there like some piece of arm candy! All confused smiles and glazed eyes. Was starting to wonder if he could even rub two sticks to make a spark in that spiky head of his."

"Well, that's just the way he looks." His landlady said with a wave of her hand, giving a very backhanded compliment. "And you thinking he might be soft in the head is better than the impression he used to give off. I tell ya, when he first came to Midgar, the kid had a bad habit of looking off into space and muttering to himself. I thought he was going insane half the time!"

"Hohoho, no kidding? How'd a weirdo like that manage to turn my granddaughter's head then?"

"That's the funny part… he didn't! She joined through a mutual connection of theirs, his girlfriend, her friend."

"Wait, wait… you know about that?" Cloud asked, feeling a little anxious at his and Tifa's being common knowledge. "How'd you even find out about it? Have… you been snooping?"

"You think you're that interesting that I'm gonna drag my old bones up those steps, just to pry?" Marle asked derisively, giving him a look that asked if he was crazy. "I heard it from the source, of course, a little tea time talk with Tifa and Jessie whenever they stop by. Trust me, if they didn't tell me about your little "arrangement" – and their part in it – I would have sliced that oversexed tool between your legs for two-timing them!" She waved her cane a little for emphasis, miming a cutting motion. "That being said, I also live beneath you, kid. I would need to be blind, deaf, and dumb to not at least guess at the debauchery underneath my roof."

"Oh, well I…" Cloud began, and stopped, not sure what to say about all that. "Maybe if you sprung for some thicker walls…"

His landlady only scoffed in humor.

"Whoa! Look at the silver tongue on this one! " Mireille shot at him, which got the old women laughing to themselves again. "But maybe don't quit your day job. Cause if that's the best you got, I'd hate to see you in front of a crowd!" And … it didn't help that the blonde parasite joined them up on the porch to get in on the bullying, pointing at him as she doubled over, holding her shaking stomach.

'Fucking Jenova.' Cloud thought, for perhaps the hundredth time since he had an uninvited passenger in his head.

He knew Tifa, Jessie, and even Nellie to an extent, had a very grandmother/granddaughter-like relationship with Marle, but he didn't realize how… open they were with the details. That made the knowing looks she had been giving him in the mornings… a lot more embarrassing in hindsight.

"Hey! It's a very modern arrangement!" Kyrie piped up in defense, her face just as red as Cloud, for having their unique relationship talked about so openly. "I wouldn't expect a bunch of old biddies like you two to understand that!"

The ex-infantryman was somewhat… touched, by the tomboy's attempt to defend them.

"Pfft, there's nothing modern about it, you brat," Mireille said with a smirk, sharing a knowing look with Marle. "Some sexual deviancy is a tale as old as time! And multiple women sharing the same man? Old hat… although it's usually the men who try to get that arrangement going." She admitted as she picked up her tea biscuit and crunched on it as she looked the two young people over, before swallowing and giving them a devious smile. "But I only say usually because me and old Marle here used to be quite famous in our younger days. The ground floor beauties who got even the stuffy topsides coming down to catch a glimpse of us. And if you were lucky, we'd show you why two women were better than one!"

"Ewww!" Kyrie said, using her hands to try and bury her face as if it could stop the image of the two grandmothers "hunting" in their youth.

"Oh~h, you remember Gregor?" Marle asked wistfully.

"How could I forget… built like a mountain, that one!" Mirielle answered, closing her eyes as if trying to savor the memory.

"A man's man! Always loved them burley."

"With a nice set of chest hair to grab–"

"Stop, stop, stop!" Kyrie practically shouted, desperately trying to stop the two women from going down memory lane, in excruciating details. "My situation and what you two are describing, are completely different things! I'm in an actual relationship… sorta, but you hags were just slutting it up!"

"Hmph! You say that like it's an insult." Ms. Dudley said dryly, giving her granddaughter a smirk. "When you get to my age, young lady, every notch under your belt is a point of pride."

"By that metric, your grandmother might be the most prideful person in Midgar!" Marle jumped in, getting both ladies back into a laughing fit.

"What can I say? I was always the prettiest between us!"

"You two are unbelievable! Get bent grandma, now I'm not sorry I didn't call." Kyrie said, clearly fed up with the circus as she grabbed his arm to lead them away. "I'm going to work, c'mon Cloud."

A few more hoots of laughter before a voice called out to them.

"All jokes aside!" Mireille said loudly once they stopped mid-stride and turned around to see what else she was going to throw their way. "If you want to date my granddaughter, like really date her, you're gonna need to prove yourself merc."

Well… that was unexpected. And honestly, he was tired of them already and wanted to get his day started.

But he did promise to make an effort to get to know Kyrie before they jumped into bed… and trying to get in good with all the girls' family would be a solid first step…

"...how?" Cloud asked slowly, something telling him he might regret asking.

"When you have some free time… swing by sector 5," Mirielle said, a sharp grin on her face. "I might have a test or two for you."

(I like them.) Jenova said, skipping over to the mercenaries.

000

Hours later, at the Seventh Heaven backroom office–

"Shit, shit, shit!"

Cloud couldn't help but laugh a little at the words even as he kept his pace up from behind the redhead, instead opting to give Jessie's ass a light slap in rebuke, taking a moment to admire her naked lower half.

Long legs, supple skin, and a perky backside. Giving her another playful swat on the left side this time, he jokingly thought it was like there was a requirement for all avalanche girls to keep themselves nice and tight.

(Oooh, go slower.) Jenova moaned in his head, having canceled her phantasmal body in favor of focusing her full attention on their shared sensations.

A low wine came from Jessie, that might have been her protesting him smacking her butt so much… if it wasn't for the way she wiggled her bottom needily, pushing the firm muscles back into his pelvis almost irritability.

"Keep it down you, or you gonna get us caught." He chuckled to her, trying –and failing– to hold back his mirth. Seeing her lower half was spasming a bit out of control, he leaned down in order to cover her back with his chest, using his body weight to force them both flat along the back office table of the bar. Hopefully, this would stop the mechanic from throwing herself accidentally to the floor from all of her jerky movements. Satisfied that he had her in place, Cloud decided to give her a quick bite on the ear, his hips began frantically picking up their pace as he chased his release. Feeling cheeky, he asked her. "Besides, I'm almost done… you gonna be a good girl and let me finish?"

"Fuck yoooouuuuu~!" Jessie practically sang out, happily if a bit deliriously, her bandana half across her face and her fingers too numb to actually move it out of the way. Truthfully, her mouth was the only part of her that was still functioning after what he thought might have been her first orgasm. (Cloud was getting pretty good at this.) The mechanic's body had long ago ragged dolled at this point in their "quickie", unable to do more than be a very willing hole for his thrusting.

"Careful… you're gonna bite your tongue," Cloud warned even as he gave her a kiss on the cheek and stopped his movements, backing off of her to grab at her thighs and push her further on top of the counter. Taking a quick glance to make sure she was mainly on the table, the merc climbed back on his girlfriend and resumed pounding into Jessie's cushy backside. The new angle sent her body ricocheting slightly off the wood, almost like she was pushing back into him.

It gave Cloud such a wonderful sensation, but he hadn't been kidding early… he was about ready to blow. The new position, plus the cute kitty-cat mewling coming from Jessie the whole way, all sent him over the edge in record time.

"Fuck!" The redhead yelled, body jerking back to life as he finished in her, her hands wrapping his wrists in a death grip as she rode it out, spine a taut spring… before collapsing limply back on the table, like a puppet with strings cut.

"...you alright?" Cloud asked in concern, laying a hand on her sweaty back – just under where her blue shirt had been rolled up to expose her chest – in order to get her attention.

No matter how many times he's seen one of his girls blacked out from a sudden post-coitus exhaustion, seeing them drop like that still sent a spike of worry in his gut. And indeed, under his palm, he felt a ragged vibration, a sudden shaking of Jessie's body….was she crying? Shaking in anger maybe? Could it be, after all these days of making love together he finally hit the threshold of tolerance she had for him–

A light snore cut through the air.

Yeah… she was alright.

"What's got her so tired?" Cloud asked, looking over at Nayo, also on the table. She was laying very provocatively on her back, shirt and vest unbuttoned to expose her kiss-marked breasts to his and Jessie's enthusiastic attention. Her short skirt had been pulled up to her waist, with panties and stockings discarded somewhere in the room, leaving pale flesh a mile long for the world to see… with every inch covered in his, um, "juices". One arm was covering her face, as if she was just about ready to pass out herself, and his voice stopped her from slipping into oblivion.

"...huh?" The spy asked, clearly not having heard a word he said, too lost in her own stupor after the two had sex earlier. Blinking rapidly, her brain trying to clear the haze it was in as it tried to process his words. "Run that by me one more time?"

Cloud repeated himself.

"You mean besides the obvious? She asked teasingly, eyeing the way his hips had been grinding subconsciously into the redhead. Blushing a little, he pulled himself out slowly with a pop, then gently rolled Jessie around so she could sleep on her back instead of her stomach.

Sliding off the table and steadying himself, Cloud took a moment to admire the beautiful sight before him… two gorgeous women practically naked and splayed out before him. Both were covered from the waist down in all their mixed juices and clearly very exhausted… with one already in dreamland and there not far behind.

"Besides the obvious…" Cloud confirmed, walking to one of the drawers where they had hastily put their water and cups, before tearing at each other's clothes. He could practically feel Nayo's eyes following him as he walked nude across the room. It was kind of gratifying he could get her so worked up, even when she was so obviously tired. Pouring out a glass for two, he brought both of them to Nayo, helping her sit up on the edge of the table as she drank hers.

"Thank you." She said after she put her water down and ran a hand through her sweaty hair. "Well, if you scratch out us getting plowed into sleepyville… theeeeen, probably because we've been pulling a couple of all-nighters trying to plan out that infiltration mission."

That caught Cloud's interest

"The one where Avalanche sends me into the lion's den… and hope I don't get shot in the lobby?

"That's the one." Nayo acknowledged, taking another sip of her water before closing her eyes and leaning back on her arms. "We more or less finally got things wrapped up on our end, but wanted to have one more team meeting… just to hammer out some do's and don'ts. And get your opinion on the backstory we cooked up for you."

"In my opinion… it's a stupid plan. And you still haven't told me the full plan, other than I'm supposed to sneak in and pretend to still be on the payroll."

"Duly noted." The spymaster said nonchalantly, before noticing his unimpressed look… and smiled. "Look we wouldn't send you in half-cocked if we weren't prepared for the worst… or if we weren't just that desperate. If we had more people, more supplies, more information… we would've had more leeway to figure something else out. Hell, if we had a couple of platoons backing us up, I wouldn't even be against the idea of us going for a frontal assault. But as it currently stands, we don't. And to make matters worse, we're on a time crunch. This really is the best idea we got."

"Duly noted." Cloud said glumly, echoing her earlier statement.

"As for the details… well, that's what the meeting later is for. We'll fill everyone in on the particulars and their roles in the operation. So you know, it's not just you … the strategists gotta keep these things hush-hush in general, since… how does that saying go? "Too many cooks in the kitchen and the soup burns?" "

The merc could only scoff in disbelief.

Smiling sympathetically, Nayo reached for his hands and tugged him close till he was standing between her legs.

"Hey… we're not going to force you to do anything you don't want to." She said quietly, running her hands up and down his arms as if to soothe him… but the heat between her thighs was getting him worked up again. "Avalanche is just asking you to keep an open mind and heart when we tell you and the rest of the crew the plan later. Nothing is set in stone yet, so we have wiggle room to negotiate on the details if you like." Taking his hands and placing it on her hips, she trailed her own fingers up his torso, before laying her palms flat on his chest, smiling cheekily up at him as her eyes quickly glanced below. "Buu~uut that being said, if you do start to get cold feet, please keep in mind… your friends with everyone in Avalanche, rather candidly sleeping with all of their girls, and if that's not enough to move you black heart… then you may very well be saving tens of thousands of lives."

"Really? Trying to guilt trip me?" Cloud asked flatly, giving her hips a firm squeeze in half-hearted warning, even as lined himself up with her opening.

"Well, is it working?"

Silence… and as it dragged on, the girl's smile widened.

"Just for the record, I'm only friends with some of Avalanche. Only sleeping with half the girls… a-and I don't even know 10,000 people… so, it's not fair to bring up the saving people part… you know what I'm going to say to that."

"Ah, like clockwork!" Nayo said happily, migrating her hand to wrap around his neck and give him a peck on the lips, letting her chest rub into the flat of his muscles. "The trifecta always gets people –friendship, love, basic human decency– unless you're a complete bastard, one of the three is bound to prick at your conscience."

"And if I was?"

"Then money." She said simply, now wrapping her legs around his waist as he slowly pushed himself into her. "Lots and lots of money." She inhaled sharply as Cloud bottomed out in her. "Although some of the more gross ones want sex. Not that we give it to them."

"You don't?"

"Do you really have to ask?" She said rhetorically with a flat look.

"Uh…my bad." He apologized absentmindedly, more focused on picking up his pace… before the implication of his words struck him, stopping his movements. "I really am sorry. I'm just a little distracted right now…"

The spy only rolled her eyes before giving him a fond smile.

"You're lucky you're cute," Nayo said lightly, although her voice was a little strained and frustrated by the lack of fucking. "Plus, sticks and stones, and all that…" She reached over to give him a slight swat on the ass to get him moving again. "Now enough talking… move those hips!"

(Balls deep in a pretty girl and he still says the wildest things.) Jenova signed from inside his mind.

000000

If the ending felt a little abrupt... that's because it was lol. I intended to write a whole chapter based on Cloud's pov to establish his new relationship with the Avalanche girls, as well as getting some major storyline pushed forward. IE Cloti date and infiltration mission. But it started to hit six thousand words and decided to split it up and give myself some more breathing room. But don't worry next chapter is a continuation of all this.

Fun fact: Last chapter it was revealed that Nibelheim "survivors" were being held in Deepground. That's actually canon. In the game Before Crisis, there's a chapter where the player Turk is overlooking the transportation of bodies to Midgar, in order to undergo "medical" treatment by Hojo. And I think we all know how that goes.