Kumbaya

“Kumbaya”
Part two
(An “Alliance” universe ficlet)
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(Warning: Possible spoilers for all FF7 game/movie titles)
*Disclaimer: Final Fantasy and all related characters belong to Square-Enix. This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can’t get enough of this world and the characters.*
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“Psst…Reno. Rise and shine, Foxy.”

The Turk groaned and swatted in the general direction of the voice.

“Come on, I want to show you something. You can go right back to sleep when we’re done if you want, or you can have some coffee.”

“You guys brought coffee?” mumbled Reno. He lifted his head and blinked at Zack, who was squatting beside him in the tent. Cloud was still asleep on his other side and he’d burrowed into his sleeping bag until the only part of him visible was his fluffy spikes.

“Had to,” answered Zack with a grin. “We both knew we’d never get you out of your sleeping bag in the mornings without it. It’s instant but it won’t be a problem to boil up some water for you. I’ve got the fire going and we’ve got a little kettle we can use.”

“How long have you been awake, you freak?” snapped the redhead as he noticed it was only just growing light outside. “Has the sun even come up yet?”

“No, it’s coming up now,” Zack replied, un-offended by Reno’s cranky-ness. “Come on, slip your jacket on and come with me.”

“Is it that important?” asked the Turk. “Is this the ‘surprise’ you were talking about last night? Bug Cloud first and let me sleep in, man.”

“This isn’t the same surprise,” Zack murmured. He started tugging Reno’s sleeping bag down. “Come on…just humor me already!”

Reno sighed and shook his head. He knew Zack wasn’t going to leave him alone until he went along with it. He had the tenacity of a puppy with a chew toy and Reno didn’t fool himself into thinking he’d give up.

“Fine,” grumbled the Turk as he wriggled out of his sleeping bag and searched the floor of the tent for his jacket. Zack held it up for him and he snatched it rudely from his grasp. “You’re a real tyrant sometimes, Fair. I guess it’s a good thing we don’t have any ice cubes here.”

Zack snickered softly. “I’d have found some other way to get you moving.”

“You’re not gonna try to take me hiking or something, are you?” Reno asked as he put the jacket on and flipped his ponytail over the collar. “’Cause I gotta tell ya, waking me up at the crack of dawn to go running up and down the mountain ain’t the way to get me liking nature.” He reached for his shoes and socks next and he jammed them on his feet, cursing when he had trouble with the laces.

“No, nothing like that,” Zack assured him. “You won’t have to do anything but relax.” He crawled to the entrance and unzipped it, slipping out and offering a hand to Reno as the redhead stumbled after him.

Cloud murmured in his sleep as Reno accidentally nudged him in passing and the Turk patted his rump reflexively, soothing him back to sleep. He realized what he’d done and he shook his head and smirked at his own expense. Cloud really had gotten under his skin and now Zack was doing it too. He took Zack’s hand and let him help him to his feet as he climbed out of the tent. He was glad that Zack had told him to put on his jacket. Though it was the middle of summer now, the morning air was crisp up here.

He noticed that Zack was wearing a flannel shirt over his crew shirt. Reno opened his mouth to say something sarcastic about hillbillies and flannel but he couldn’t bring himself to find the image stereotypical or funny. Zack looked good in whatever he wore and flannel was obviously comfortable. He grumbled again, annoyed at Zack for being so irresistible at such an ungodly hour.

“So what do you want to show me?” Reno asked.

Zack’s wings extended from his back and arched gracefully behind him. He held a hand out and smiled at the Turk. “Come here.”

Reno blinked. Even muzzy-headed with sleep he could appreciate the sight of a winged hunk smiling at him in the cold light of dawn. “Uh, okay,” he said stupidly. He walked to the other man and he blurted a surprised oath as Zack picked him up bride style. “We’re not gonna elope, are we?” Reno asked facetiously.

Zack chuckled. “Just put your arms around my neck and hold on.”

With a shrug, Reno did as he asked and his stomach lurched as Zack bunched his thigh muscles and took off with him. They flew straight up over the campsite until they cleared the treetops. Reno shivered a little and held on more tightly, feeling a moment of uncommon vertigo as he adjusted to the sudden lift-off.

“I’ve got you,” Zack murmured against his ear. “You know I wouldn’t drop you, Red.”

Reno looked at him and he admired the way the rising sun bathed his features. “Okay, so you’ve brought me up here. What’s this about, yo?”

“Have a look yourself,” Zack answered, nodding at something over Reno’s shoulder.

Reno turned his head and his mouth parted in wonder. From their hovering vantage point over the canopy, he could see the whole mountain range and the valley below. He saw a stream winding into the hills, he saw the sun cresting the mountain range, birds taking their morning flights and the pink, orange and yellow light reflecting on the fluffy clouds.

“Okay,” breathed Reno, “I’ll admit it; you’ve wowed me.”

“Nice, isn’t it?” Zack said. His lips nuzzled Reno’s ear and the Turk closed his eyes.

“Hopeless fucking romantic,” Reno muttered. His body was responding with typical eagerness and the aches and pains he’d felt upon waking were forgotten. Sleeping in a tent wasn’t half-bad when you had a couple of babes like Strife and Fair cushioning you and waking up to this made it even less troublesome.

Reno opened his eyes and looked at Zack’s handsome face again. He was struck with a sudden realization. ~Yup, I’ve fallen for him just as hard as I fell for Cloud. Damn it.~

“Ready to go back down?” Zack questioned. “We can make some coffee for you or you can go back to sleep, just like I promised.”

Ordinarily Reno would have opted for sleep, but the view he’d just witnessed and the revelation that occurred to him with it shook him awake. “I could go for some coffee,” he said.

Zack kissed him lightly and descended with him. Cloud was climbing out of the tent and rubbing his eyes when they landed, giving Reno another sight to admire. How Strife managed to look so damned cute when he woke up was a mystery. His disheveled golden hair was sticking out in a disorderly fashion and he stumbled like a sleepy kid toward the fire.

“Don’t fall into it, Blondie,” Reno warned as he and Zack touched down.

Cloud gave him a sleepy smile. “I’m not that out of it,” he protested. He covered his mouth on a yawn and pulled his camouflage jacket a little tighter around him. “So what were you guys doing, watching the sunrise?”

“Yeah, he dragged me out of the tent to show me,” Reno answered. He was put back on his feet and he glanced at Zack sidelong, giving him a crooked smile. “I guess I can admit it was kind of worth it.”

Zack chuckled. “I was hoping for something a little more enthusiastic, but I’ll take what I can get.” He looked Cloud up and down. “What about you, cutie-pie? Wanna have a look at the sunrise?”

“Sure,” Cloud nodded. “Just let me—” He covered another yawn before continuing, “Get Reno’s coffee ready.”

“I can get it,” Reno said, feeling a little bad for being so surly when his lovers were so considerate. “Just tell me where the stuff is.”

Cloud ducked into the tent and dragged his backpack out. He dug through it until he found a tin and he opened it to reveal a stack of single-serve instant coffee dunkers and a mug. “Here you go,” he said. “I notice Zack’s already got the kettle boiling for you. There’s sugar packets in here too but we didn’t have any creamer.”

“This is fine,” Reno assured him as he took the tin from him. “Damn, you two really thought of just about everything, didn’t you?”

Cloud shrugged. “I just know how you get when you haven’t had coffee. Did you bring toothpaste?”

Reno cursed and shook his head. “Nope. I brought my toothbrush but I didn’t think of the paste.”

“You can find some in my backpack, in the front zipper pocket.” Cloud smiled at him again and walked over to Zack to have his turn in the air. “We’ll have some breakfast when Zack and I come back down.”

~*********************************~

Reno’s experience ranged from good to terrible as the day wore on. Relieving his bladder wasn’t bad but when it came time for the dirty business, he was thoroughly wishing for a toilet. Around noontime, Zack announced that he was going to show them both his other surprise after they finished having lunch.

“We’ll have to take a little hike but it’ll be worth it,” he said. “Cloud, you’ve got that shampoo and conditioner we bought, right?”

“Yeah,” he confirmed with a nod, giving Zack a thoughtful look. He guessed the other fighter was going to take them to a natural water source to get cleaned up—which would make Reno happy. The Turk might not be so thrilled about the experience of bathing in a cold mountain stream, though.

“Trust me, you’re gonna love this,” Zack assured them both. “Just bring a change of clothes and a towel.”

“We going skinny dipping?” Reno guessed with a grin. His face fell as he remembered where they were. “Yo, I’m not keen on freezing my balls off, Zack.”

“It’ll be fine,” he assured him. “Just trust me.”

~********************************~

After having a lunch, they gathered their things and started off. Apples, soup and cheese was fine but Cloud and Zack made plans to do some hunting soon, so that they’d have some meat for their meals.

“Sorry about the lack of protein with lunch,” Zack apologized to Reno as he guided them through the forest. “Cloudy and I are going to have to do a little hunting or fishing. Maybe we can do that in the morning. Think you can hold out ‘till then, Reno?”

“I’ll manage,” the redhead answered. Truthfully, he could kill for a pizza but since his lovers were doing all the work bringing food to the table, he resisted the urge to complain. He only had a couple more days of this before he could get back to civilization and chow down on pizza, sushi or anything else he wanted.

“Hold up a sec,” Zack announced, calling them to a halt. “I’ve got to get my bearings.” He spread his wings and took off to get a bird’s eye view. Shielding his eyes from the sun with his hand, he peered around and spotted their destination, only a few moments walking distance from where they were now. He grinned and descended back to the earth. “Okay, we’re on the right track. This way, guys.”

He led them into a clearing and both Cloud and Reno stopped and looked at the scene with surprise. “You found a hot spring?” asked the blonde as he examined the pool nestled in a rock formation.

“Sure did,” Zack said proudly. “How do you like that? We can have a hot bath after all.”

Reno looked at the steam rising from the rocky pool. It wasn’t a large body of water and it didn’t appear to be very steep. He surmised it to be about the size of a standard swimming pool. It looked inviting but there was one problem.

“It smells a little funny,” Reno observed, wrinkling his nose. “Like eggs or…farts.”

“That can’t be helped,” Zack shrugged. “That’s just a natural gas caused by the sulfur. It’s harmless.”

Reno sighed. ~Great. He found us a nice warm bath that smells like ass. I guess it’s either this, a cold stream or going without a bath at all until I get home.~

“You’ll get used to it after a little while,” Cloud assured him as he took his backpack off and started going through it. Zack likewise removed his backpack and started doing the same.

Reno again found himself unable to complain further and he felt guilty for remarking about the smell. Zack had to have gone through a lot of trouble scouting this place out to find the best camping spot for Reno’s first trip. It was obvious to him that both of his lovers wanted something more out of this than just a camping trip and he began to ponder what that might be. Did it really matter what Reno thought of the great outdoors? It wasn’t as if he wasn’t going to visit them every chance he got, even if he wasn’t thrilled about there location.

~What are they up to? What’s with all this…courtship they’ve got going on?~

Now that he thought of it, a “courtship” was exactly what this felt like. He got the distinct impression that they were both romancing him or trying to seduce him…which was stupid considering they already had him. So why were they working so hard to impress him? He turned these questions over in his mind as he dropped his bag and fished through it for the single towel he’d brought and his change of clothes. He felt his lover’s eyes on him as he readied his things and it was a bit unsettling.

“All right, that’s it,” Reno huffed as he finished laying his clothes out on one of the big, flat rocks. “You two are up to something. This whole trip has been like someone trying to get down someone else’s pants but since we’ve already gone there, I know that ain’t what it’s about.”

Zack and Cloud gave one another one of those looks that they’d been shooting back and forth throughout the trip. They were silently communicating with each other and it pissed Reno off even more.

“See? Ya just did it again!”

“Did what again?” Cloud asked, his golden brows furrowing over puzzled blue eyes.

“Looked at each other!” fumed the Turk.

Zack blinked and then burst into laughter. “What’s wrong with that?”

“You’ve got some inside thing going on here,” Reno insisted. “This whole thing has just been…like…staged. Moving branches outta my way, romancing me by the fire with the whiskey and the chicken, flying me up to watch the sunrise and now a man scramble in a hot spring! You guys are going out of your way to make this like some kind of super fun fantasy trip.”

“You’re paranoid,” Cloud muttered, averting his eyes.

Reno narrowed his eyes at him. “Yeah? Then why won’t ya look me in the eye, Blondie? You and Zack both suck at lying. Ya know I’ll bet if I asked you to make me a pizza, you’d find a way to do it.”

“We probably could,” Zack murmured thoughtfully.

“I’m serious, Fair.” Reno crossed his arms over his chest and gave them both a severe look. “I’ve been seduced before. Hell, I’ve been the one seducing plenty of times. I don’t know what your motive is but there’s something you guys aren’t telling me.”

The two of them exchanged another look and Zack crossed the distance to stand before Reno. “Look, we’ve already told you that we want this to be a fun trip for you. If it seems like we’re trying to hard it’s just because we want you to see a little something of what we see in the outdoors, you know? We want you to be comfortable when you come to visit us and we figure if we show you a few nice things about nature, you might come around more often.”

It was on the tip of his tongue to just blurt out that they wanted him to move in with them, but he and Cloud had agreed they wouldn’t approach that subject until after the house had a functioning bedroom, bathroom and kitchen. Reno was volatile about country living at best and it would be a stupid move to ask him to come live with them in a barn. He gazed at the redhead with friendly persuasion, knowing by now that he had a weakness for certain expressions.

Reno stared at Zack, then at Cloud. There it was again; that look they both got on their faces when they wanted something from him. “So that’s really all there is to it?” he demanded, steeling himself against the puppy eyes.

“That’s all there is,” Cloud said. Because it was the basic truth, he was able to say it with a straight face. For now, that really was all there was to it. They wanted to show him nature wasn’t so horrible before moving onto the next stage. “Why do you think everything has to have a sinister motive behind it, Reno?”

“’Cause I’m a Turk,” answered Reno with a shrug. He sighed. “Okay look, I’m sorry. You guys are trying so hard and all I can do is complain and come up with conspiracy theories. If ya say you just want me to have a good time, I’ll believe you. Uh, thanks.”

They both smiled at him and nothing more was said about it…until they got into the hotspring and started bathing with the bio-friendly products that the two fighters had brought with them.

“Hey Reno.”

The Turk scrubbed the suds out of his eyes and peered at Zack, who was treading water a few feet away with his newly washed hair slicked back. “Yeah?”

A puzzled look flitted over Zack’s face. “Do you really thing chicken and whiskey are romantic? I mean, give me a little credit, man.”

Cloud snorted with amusement and ducked under the water to rinse his hair out. Reno grimaced and tried to think of a way to explain his reasoning. “You’ve gotta look at it in context,” he supplied, “Sure, ordinarily it’s not a combo I’d pick for setting the mood but we’re out in the middle of nowhere. Roast chicken and good whiskey are practically a freakin’ delicacy.”

Cloud emerged from under the water and he heard the last part of Reno’s answer. “Doesn’t take much with you, does it?” he remarked to Reno with a grin before shaking his hair out.

“It wasn’t just the stuff,” stammered the redhead. “It’s how you two were acting. You know, with the cuddling and talking.”

“Maybe you just like us more than you want to admit,” Zack chuckled. “I don’t think we were doing anything we don’t normally do. You know I’m a cuddler.”

Reno shrugged and arched his back, dropping his hair into the water to rinse it out. “Yeah, you’re big on the snuggling. You can’t tell me that stunt ya pulled this morning wasn’t supposed to be romantic, though.”

“You got me there,” agreed Zack, his eyes caressing the Turk’s lean form. The way Reno was arching backwards was just plain sexy. Cloud evidently thought so too because he waded over to Reno and started helping him rinse his hair. The blonde leaned over the Turk and started kissing him as he worked, surprising him.

“See, things like that,” Reno murmured when Cloud broke the kiss to nuzzle his jaw. “You’re usually too shy to do things like that without some provocation, Strife.”

Cloud smirked and straightened up, gazing down at him as he massaged his scalp. “Maybe the wilderness just loosens me up a little,” he suggested.

That actually made an odd kind of sense to Reno. Wild natured as he was, it seemed fitting that Cloud would be more comfortable and adventurous in a natural setting. Reno gasped as the blonde leisurely stroked his fingertips over one nipple, making it harden instantly.

“So being out here under the trees really does it for ya, huh?” Reno breathed. He straightened up and didn’t resist as Cloud’s arms went around him.

“I guess so,” answered the blonde. He kissed him and Reno felt his erection press against his leg. His body responded shamelessly and he returned the kiss and the embrace. He half expected Zack to come and join them but the other man was evidently content to watch. His eyes were smoky and admiring on the two of them as they kissed and fondled one another.

Reno remembered something important as Cloud’s touches and kisses filled him with lust. He groaned and broke the kiss, swearing softly with frustration. “Nobody brought lube, did they?”

“I don’t think it would work in a hot spring anyhow,” Zack guessed with a sigh.

“I guess it can wait,” Reno grumbled.

Cloud didn’t mind. Everything didn’t have to end in intercourse to satisfy him and he was content to just kiss and touch the redhead. Unfortunately, Reno was too easily excited, so he had to keep it toned down or he knew the Turk would be looking for alternative lube sources.

~*********************************~

“Hey Reno, why don’t you let me show you how to make a snare?”

Reno paused in the act of toweling his hair dry and he stared at Zack. “You’re kidding, right?” He draped the towel around his neck and searched through his bag, producing a hand mirror, a comb and some hair gel.

“No, I’m serious,” replied the other man with a curious look at Reno’s accoutrements. “You really brought hair gel out here?”

“Yeah, I really brought hair gel.” Reno smirked at him and reached into the bag again, this time producing a miniature hair dryer. At the sight of the object, Cloud spoke up.

“Uh, where do you think you’re going to plug that in?” asked the blonde.

Reno clicked the button and the hair dryer started up. He grinned at his companions and displayed his tongue teasingly. “Battery powered, man.” He propped the mirror between his knees and began the task of styling his hair.

“I should have known,” said Cloud with a shake of his head and a smile. Even in the wilderness, Reno wasn’t going to go without his customary hairdo.

“So how about it, want to learn how to set snares?” Zack persisted. “You don’t have to shoot anything and it might come in handy some day.”

Reno looked at him through the damp bangs he was blowing dry. “You really want me to learn this, don’t ya?”

“I just thought it might help pass the time and we could catch some dinner while we’re at it,” explained Zack.

Reno sighed. “All right, I’ll humor you again. Don’t expect a big result, yo.”

“You might surprise yourself,” countered the other man with a shrug. “Cloud, are you going to stick with us?”

“I think I’ll head back to the camp and get some more wood,” answered the blonde. “If I see anything worth hunting I’ll try to take it down on the way there.”

“You know your way back?” Reno asked, worried that he could get lost.

Cloud resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Reno didn’t seem to think he had a sense of direction worth spit. “I’ll be fine,” he assured him. “You don’t have to go shooting a bunch of flares for me.”

~*************************************~

Reno finished drying and styling his hair while Zack waited patiently. When he was finished, the two of them went into the forests surrounding the hotspring and Zack started tutoring him on setting snares. They got one set up and Reno excused himself to find a bush to water while Zack scoped out a place to lie in wait. The Turk sighed as he trudged through the undergrowth and picked out a tree. He didn’t know why he kept letting Zack talk him into doing things he had absolutely no interest in.

Reno was just about to unzip his fly and relieve himself when he heard something rustle to his left. He paused and looked warily, reaching for his bag where he had his EMR strapped to the side. When he saw the source of the sound he relaxed a little.

“Hey there,” Reno said with a cock of his head as he watched the bear cub approach. The animal stood up on its hind legs and sniffed the air in his direction curiously. Reno cautiously took a step towards it, then another one. “You’re not so bad,” he informed his visitor. “Kind of a cute little fellow.”

Zack came into the area, having worried that he might get lost. When he saw Reno reaching out to pet a wild bear cub, he went as white as a sheet.

“Reno, move away from it,” Zack ordered stiffly.

Reno looked up at him. “What’s the problem? He’s just a baby.”

“He’s not the one I’m worried about,” informed Zack with a wide-eyed look at something behind Reno.

The Turk saw the dread on his lover’s face and he slowly straightened up and turned. He looked up and his eyes went huge when he faced a much larger bear. The animal reared up as its smaller companion had done, but she didn’t simply sniff at Reno curiously. Her muzzle opened wide to emit a challenging roar and Reno came close to emptying his bladder in his pants.

“Oooh, fuuuck,” groaned the Turk, backing up a couple of paces.

Zack took immediate action—there was no other choice. He snapped his wings out and ran toward his imperiled lover and the wild bear, hollering and waving his arms as he lifted off the ground. The flapping wings and noise he produced distracted the mother bear from her intended target and she swatted at Zack as he flew overhead.

“Reno, RUN!” Zack shouted as he hovered over the bear and kept yelling at her.

Reno looked around in confusion. “Run where, Wolfy?”

“The camp’s that way,” called the other man, pointing to the West. “Just run and keep going while I lead her away!”

Zack narrowly avoided getting his leg slashed when the bear reached up and swatted again. He increased his altitude and kept waving his arms at her. “I’ll be fine, she can’t get me!” He shouted to Reno, who was looking indecisively at him. The redhead finally did as he was advised and he hefted his bag over his shoulder and ran as fast as his long legs could carry him.

“Over here, lady! Don’t go for a fox when you’ve got something meatier!” Zack swooped in front of the bear when she started to go after Reno, effectively getting her attention again.

~****************************************~

Cloud had just returned to the camp with a couple of rabbits he’d caught and he was about to start skinning them for dinner when he heard Reno’s voice yelling a stream of curses at the top of his lungs. He turned in time to see the Turk racing into camp so fast his feet hardly touched the ground. His blue-green eyes were wide and staring and his face was as white as a sheet. He didn’t seem to see Cloud at all as he came tearing into the camp, though he was heading straight for him.

It happened so fast that Cloud didn’t even have time to move aside. Reno was moving so fast the blonde only had time to call his name before he was bowled over by him, knocked flat on his back with an explosion of breath. Reno tried to get up and keep going and Cloud held him tightly and called his name again. The Turk was looking back over his shoulder in the direction he’d come from.

“Reno, stop it!” Cloud hollered, cupping the pale face and forcing him to meet his eyes.

Reno’s senses returned and he gasped; “bear…big bear…Zack’s leading it off…told me to run…”

Cloud guessed what must have happened and his concern for Reno was overshadowed by greater concern for Zack. “Is he still back there alone?”

Reno nodded, the shock of the experience wearing off enough for him to regain his senses. “He was staying…out of range,” he explained breathlessly, even as he dropped his bag on the ground and unstrapped his EMR from it. “Let’s go, man. Can’t believe I ran like that.”

Given that Reno had probably never seen a wild grizzly up close before, Cloud could believe it. Thinking nothing of Reno’s understandable panic, the blonde dropped his backpack and detached his scabbard from it. Together, they hurried in the direction Reno had come from. Reno started to shout Zack’s name but Cloud put a hand over his mouth and shook his head.

“If he’s trying to lure the bear away you don’t want to grab its attention again,” Cloud explained. “Let’s try to find him first before we start hollering. Do you think you can remember the way back to where you ran from?”

“I pretty much just ran straight in the direction Zack told me to in order to get back here,” Reno said with certainty.

“Okay, let’s go—”

“Hey guys,” Zack’s voice interrupted as Cloud took a step forward. The dark-haired man swooped down from the trees, coming from the same direction Reno had. He hovered in place and examined his Turk lover closely. “Reno, you okay?”

“I’m fine,” answered the Turk as he scanned Zack’s form anxiously. “You?”

Zack looked down at himself ruefully and his companions realized that he was missing one shoe. “Mamma bear hooked my shoe as I was passing and I had to let her have it. Otherwise I’m fine. I’ve got some boots in the truck I can put on.”

“How far away did you lead her?” Cloud asked with a frown.

“Not too far,” answered the other fighter. “She lost interest after she started realizing she wasn’t going to catch me and I wasn’t a threat to her cub.”

“I don’t know if we should stay here,” Cloud worried, looking off into the distance. “She might come sniffing around here now that she knows there’s people.”

“I’m sure as hell not staying if that bear could come looking for us,” Reno announced.

“So what are you saying, you want to cut the camping trip short?” Zack asked as he landed in front of them. He stood awkwardly on one foot. “I really think it’ll be okay. We just happened to cross paths with her and her baby, is all.”

Cloud considered the problem. Barring outright man-eaters, bears generally left people alone unless they thought they were a threat. “If we’re really careful not to leave out any food, odds are we won’t see the bear again. We’ve got to remember to bag our leftovers and put them away in the garbage container in the back of the truck.”

“You’re thinking of staying?” Reno asked incredulously. He realized how skittish he was acting and he forced himself to calm down. He’d lived through a lot worse than a bear roaring in his face and scaring the piss out of him. He’d fought things that would give the average person nightmares. One freak encounter with a wild animal shouldn’t send him running scared. “Er, I mean if that’s what you guys want…”

Cloud smirked sidelong at him. “Think you can handle it?”

Reno took the bait. “Hell yeah, I can handle it!”

Zack chuckled and flew off to his truck to retrieve his boots.

~*****************************************~

After they ate dinner that evening, Reno got his first taste of s’mores. Zack and Cloud showed him how to roast the marshmallow and smush it between the chocolate graham crackers they’d brought. He found the treat to his liking and he had three more before breaking out the tequila and passing it around.

This time Cloud indulged himself a little more and he had a pleasant buzz in a half an hour. It became obvious to his companions that he was tipsy when he suddenly giggled at Reno for no obvious reason.

“Whatcha’ laughing at, Blondie?” asked the Turk with an amused grin.

“You,” answered Cloud, passing the bottle back to him. “I’ve never seen anyone run that fast before…except when they’ve got a haste spell on them.”

“Yeah, he really booked it,” Zack agreed with a smile at Reno.

“Hey, you told me to run, bird boy,” reminded the Turk with a scowl. “And I dare anyone not to haul ass after something like that.”

“Yeah but you almost broke the sound barrier,” Zack chuckled.

“All I could see were these huge eyes and a white face,” snickered Cloud. “I mean, your feet weren’t even touching the ground!” He fell onto his side on the picnic blanket and covered his mouth, snorting helplessly as he tried to contain his laughter.

“I’m glad my terror was so damned funny to ya,” Reno grumbled, but he was having a hard time holding back his own grin. It was so rare to see Cloud laugh so heartily and the sight of him curled up giggling like that was too endearing for the Turk to resent him.

Zack looked at the tequila bottle as Reno handed it over to him. He looked at Cloud with a crooked grin as a thought occurred to him. “I think we’ve just found Cloud’s weakest link.”

“What, the tequila?” Reno asked.

Cloud sat up and appeared to regain control of himself. He wiped his eyes and cleared his throat. “Ahem. Sorry,” he muttered. He took one look at Reno and burst into laughter again.

“Yup, the tequila,” Zack confirmed.

Reno watched their blonde lover struggle to overcome his mirth and he was forced to agree with Zack. He knew Rufus tended to get a little goofy when he drank too much rum and Cloud usually stuck with whiskey or beer. “I guess you’re right,” he conceded. “He’s acting like he’s tripping or something.”

Zack took a swig from the bottle and shivered. “Good stuff,” he said after swallowing. He debated whether to pass the bottle to Cloud again. “Think you can handle a little more, Chocobo?”

Cloud seemed to consider the question. “I’m not used to getting buzzed this fast,” he complained even as he chuckled. “Maybe just one more drink for me.”

Zack gave him the bottle and he took a swallow and turned to give it to Reno. Cloud pressed his lips together hard and the Turk sighed.

“Just get it out of your system, Blondie.”

Unable to help it, Cloud choked with laughter and blindly thrust the bottle Reno’s way. It wasn’t that the redhead looked funny to him right now—he just couldn’t seem to look at him without remembering that expression on his face after the bear encounter. He’d never seen Reno Flynn look that way before. The lightheaded feeling from the tequila wasn’t helping, of course.

Reno took a drink and by the time he capped the bottle to put it away, he was grinning again. Cloud was leaning against Zack and trying his best to stop laughing, but he’d given himself the hiccups. Reno got one of the bottles of water out and gave it to the blonde.

“Here, drink it down fast,” advised the Turk. “It might get rid of the hiccups.”

Cloud took the bottle and lifted it to his lips, his eyes on Reno.

“No, don’t look at me while ya do it,” protested the Turk just before Cloud burst into laughter again and choked.

“Well, at least this time he didn’t spit it everywhere,” Zack chuckled as he slapped Cloud on the back to help him clear his throat. The last time the blonde had been struck with spontaneous giggles had been in Rufus Shinra’s office, after Zack remarked on the resemblance between the president and the former SOLDIER director.

“Sorry,” Cloud coughed again, his cheeks flooding with color as he drew ragged breaths. Another hiccup followed the apology and a frustrated expression grew on his face.

“Don’t worry about it,” Reno said lightly. “Happens to everybody sometimes.”

Cloud’s coughing fit eased and he drank from the water bottle again, this time making sure not to look at Reno as he did it. It seemed to do some good and he sighed in relief and capped the bottle.

“Thanks,” he said. His lips twitched as the redhead took the bottle from him but he somehow controlled the urge to laugh again.

“So all I’ve gotta do to make you laugh is get chased by bears in the woods,” mused Reno with a grin. “You’re a tough crowd, Strife.”

~************************************~

-To be continued