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Chapter Three: Young Bones; Little Birdie

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"Not hungry?" Graves jabbed a fork into a potato on Cloud's plate and ate it swiftly before Cloud was given the chance to fight back.

But he remained still, his eyes staring off into the humble food in front of him.

Elici was missing from the group as they sat in the cafeteria, trying to warm their tired and cold bones from the seven mile hump from earlier that day. They were barely given enough time to strip and shower before being sent back out for a meal. The men hated the days that were dictated and run by the SOLDIERs assigned to their unit. Some days were more relaxed than others and they were given a few hours of liberty some nights, which allowed for the men to do as they please, but as long as it was in Midgar and as long as they reported back for lights out each night on time. It all depended on which SOLDIER was assigned to reign over them, and whether or not they were in a good mood.

But tonight it was Mejia's turn, much to everyone's dismay, which didn't allow for any personal time to be enjoyed. They were hoping they could sneak out and catch a movie at the theater on LOVELESS Avenue before lights out. That hope was dashed as quick as it was thought up as the 3rd was barking out orders to them once they reached the barracks from their hump.

So instead of a nice meal outside of the Shin-Ra building like they longed for, they were stuck with the inconsistent and questionable meal that was served to them in the chow line.

Cloud wanted to see Zack, but thought it was for the best that he wasn't able to. He hadn't spoken to him since the night before after the awkward incident between them. Was it as strange as Cloud remembered it to be? Maybe it wasn't as bad as he thought. Perhaps Zack didn't remember it through the grogginess. He kicked himself, not being able to decide on a resolution to these feelings.

"He's...out, yeah?" Ratcliff said, motioning over to the blond across from him, who sat very still. "Dead to the world, yeah?"

Graves was a mischievous man. He was crude, quick tempered, and mostly loyal to his friends. He was a force to be reckoned with, and the only reason why he wasn't promoted to a SOLIDER class was because of his recklessness in battle at times, caused by a short fuse. 'Shoot to kill' was a motto he took to his heart and obeyed rather zealously, which oftentimes got him deeper into trouble than he would have liked to admit.

And this mischievous man suddenly jabbed his fork not into another potato, but into Cloud's injured rib to get him to snap back into the reality he was avoiding with deep thoughts.

Cloud yelped and then turned to look at the man angrily. "What the hell was that for, Graves!?"

Graves pounded the table raucously, and then laughed a little bit too deviously.

Ratcliff made a sound of distaste at this behavior. "Dammit Graves, you're such an ass, yeah!"

"I know, I couldn't fuckin' resist!"

Cloud tittered at them through the pain. It was a mean thing to do, but he enjoyed the company of these men, however twisted they were collectively at times. "Sorry, I was just thinking."

"Yeah, we could tell." Graves resumed eating off of Cloud's plate, which made Ratcliff start scooping his own meal onto the blond's plate, feeling sorry for him that his dinner was depleting, and he hadn't even touched a bite of it. He was glaring at Graves from across the table.

"Will you stop eating his food, yeah?"

Cloud shook his head and pushed his meal forward. "It's okay, I'm not hungry."

"You should eat, yeah." Ratcliff pushed it back towards him. "Young bones need nourishment."

This was true, as Cloud was the youngest out of his entire unit, which probably was the reason for his alienation from most of the men around him. Save for the three who befriended him despite the six year age difference between them. They looked to him as if he were a younger brother, enamored by his youth and gentle charm. He was humble, considerate, naïve, and innocent all at the same time.

So they could see how Zack Fair could be so easily engrossed with Cloud, even if Cloud couldn't see it himself, as his opinion for himself was rather low at times. But the three men felt that there was something about the boy they couldn't quite figure out, and they knew Zack was relentlessly trying to figure it out for himself, as well. Cloud was that enigma, after all.

And they felt a sense of duty to protect the young cadet, and nurture him, just as Zack felt. They were more than happy to see Cloud slowly coming out of his youthful shell with the SOLDIER as the months went by. The SOLDIER's infectious personality and witty smile affected everyone he came into contact with, and he could even draw some personality out of Sephiroth. That was an accomplishment all of its own.

So it was no wonder that when Cloud began to spend more time with Zack that he smiled more, joked more, and even seemed to toughen up in situations his brain would normally shut down in. Cloud was young and impressionable, surrounded by older men in dangerous situations. For Cloud to be able to enjoy some of his youth with the SOLDIER, it eased the three in their worry that Cloud would fall prey to sin too quickly.

At first Cloud seemed overwhelmed with the man as he drowned in Zack's bubbly persona, stunned that a SOLDIER could be so well rounded in many areas; that someone like him could exist. Any preconceived ideas he had about SOLDIER members were thrown out the window when Zack came along, as Cloud originally viewed SOLDIER as warriors like Sephiroth – strong, stoic, godly, inapproachable. So when that puppy came wagging his tail around, mingling with the grunts as if he were one of them, it humbled Cloud's opinion of SOLDIERs, and soon gained Cloud's adoration.

Ratcliff recalled the first time Cloud had met Zack from their mission in Modeoheim. He was star-struck and awed. He would recount each encouraging word that the SOLDIER said to him on that mission, even though he felt he didn't perform his duties as well as he could have. Zack had just met him, and he treated him with respect and care. Something Cloud hadn't really felt before, and when Zack reached out with that pat on the back, it sent a fire through his soul and ignited a passion and devotion for the man. Like a young child, Cloud would go on and on about Zack, and eventually Graves had to put the boy in a headlock to quiet him.

And there was something there behind those eyes of Cloud's when he spoke of the man – something that only Ratcliff could see. It was an admiration, and quite frankly, a little crush that Cloud developed for the SOLDIER as the months went by. But Ratcliff kept that knowledge to himself, however.

They hadn't noticed Elici walking up and finally joining them with a tray of food. He sat down with a content sigh and immediately placed a small plate of vegetables in front of Cloud, who frowned at them with disdain.

"Get those the hell away." Cloud poked at the broccoli with a fork. "They're stinky." Such a childish response to the vegetable.

"The only way they're gonna disappear is if you eat them, my friend," Elici said and chuckled before he started to delve into his own 'stinky' vegetables.

"Where were you Elici, yeah?" Ratcliff peered at him suspiciously, his blue eyes scanning the somewhat guilty-looking man.

Elici shrugged to himself, pushing the plate even closer to Cloud who leaned back in his seat as if trying to get as far away from the vegetables as possible, without scrambling to his feet and making a beeline to the doors. "Just made a quick call to home. My wife said our son has been sick lately." He turned his gaze back to Cloud who had a face of utter disgust on it. "Don't let it go to waste now. Eat it." It was apparent he was a parent, as he shot Cloud a look not to trifle with.

"Sumthin' goin' 'round?" Graves was making a poor attempt at opening a carton of juice with gloved hands, his black eyebrows furrowed in the middle of his face.
Ratcliff was glaring at Elici from across the table silently, not believing a word the man was saying.

"Something like that," was the all-too-casual reply.

They watched in awe as Cloud quickly popped a small piece of broccoli in his mouth with a scrunched up face.

Graves suddenly let out a cry of anger beside them, as he slammed the carton of juice down against the table. It broke, releasing its contents onto the plate of Cloud's vegetables, soaking them in juice.

Cloud looked elated. "Yes! Thanks Graves!"

Graves grinned widely, as the other two just scoffed and rolled their eyes. "Glad I could help!"

An arm suddenly appeared in Cloud's vision from behind him and a new plate was set down with the same old broccoli, but juice-free, and unfortunately quite edible.

"Tough luck, kid."

"Sir!" the three chirped out in surprise.

Cloud craned his neck to see Zack standing behind him with a gentle smile on his face. "Zack!" he said, partially in utter glee and partially in shock. He was hoping to avoid him for a few days after the previous incident. "W-what're you doing here?"

"I'm hungry, duh!" He nodded a quick thanks as Graves scooted down on the bench so Zack could join in between. They were all beaming brightly at him, excited to have the SOLDIER join them at the table.

Cloud shivered, feeling Zack's body heat as he sat down close to him. A tired feeling washed over him, the kind of sleepiness that would be enjoyed on a warm summer day in the early evening. He resisted the urge to lean towards him and rest his weary body against that strength.

"How was the hump, boys?" Zack stabbed a fork into a rather large mound of pasta on his plate. His tongue was sticking out in concentration as he attempted to wind the noodles around his utensil.

Graves scoffed, eating from his own plate now, as Zack would probably scold him for mooching off of his young friend. "Shitty, of course."

Zack chuckled while slurping a long tendril of pasta into his mouth. He went cross-eyed, watching as it retracted into his mouth, and gave him a slap on the tip of the nose before disappearing. Ratcliff chuckled.

"You only thought it was shitty because your pack broke halfway through the hump," Elici said, and then the two began to argue.

Zack turned his attention to the young Cloud, his friendly and outgoing demeanor suddenly changing as the conversation continued besides them with the now three bickering men. Ratcliff joined in on the topic, attempting to play the mediator.

"Hey, buddy," he said softly between the arguing around them. His normally bright eyes turned solemn as he leaned towards Cloud. "How ya doin'?"

Cloud's breathing was erratic, his eyes darting back and forth on Zack's nervously. "O-okay..." He tried to get his breathing under control as it looked awfully suspicious, and also was quite uncomfortable under his hurting rib cage. "W-why?"

Zack reached up with a gloved hand and passed his knuckles gently along Cloud's side. It was a skilled and erotic touch, whether Zack meant it to be or not, and if it wasn't for the shooting pain in his bone, Cloud would have probably enjoyed it. "I heard you're not feelin' too well."

Cloud jumped at the touch, his knees bumping up under the table and causing the trays on the top to clatter. He fell towards Zack's chest with a small cry of pleasure and pain. His spine went limp at the caress, and his muscles shut down from the pain. It was a strange combination that left him downright confused, and quite useless.

The men turned their attention at all the noise and looked to Zack who was now gripping Cloud's shoulders to help hold him up with a concerned look.

"What happened?" Elici leaned forward to peer around Cloud's shoulder to see his bewildered face against Zack's chest.

"A little birdie told me that Cloud here wasn't doing too good." Zack gave a glance over to each of the men around him, who nodded slowly. "I had to come see for myself."

Cloud tried to pull away from Zack's chest, but he held him there while he spoke, and Cloud wondered if he was aware he was still keeping him prisoner in his grip once more. Cloud could make out the sound of Zack's beating heart, and it resonated through him, not helping his already feeble constitution.

"Zack...let me go," Cloud said, his voice muffled Zack's warm chest.

"Not until you go down to the infirmary for a check-up. It could be broken."

"I'm fine." More muffled speech, and more squirming.

Zack could feel Cloud's hand worm its way past his stomach and up his chest between them in a pathetic attempt to pry himself away. Zack's grip just tightened. "Do I have to carry you down there, Cloud?"

"N-no...."

"Then you'll go?"

"Fine...."

Zack grinned at Cloud's reluctant answer. "I win!" He continued to hold him there, however, not realizing it. He could feel Cloud relax against him, and could feel his warm breath breeze through the fabric on his uniform. It flowed against his skin, causing him to inwardly shudder. His arms slowly wrapped around his shoulders, unaware he was now holding Cloud in a rather deep embrace, and for a rather suspicious amount of time.

Ratcliff cleared his throat, motioning to several people who were now staring with either amusement or confusion. "Sir, shouldn't you take him down there now, yeah?"

Zack quickly let go of Cloud almost roughly, but managed not to jolt the injured boy in the process. "Sorry, Cloud. You're just too stubborn. You can't be trusted. I thought you were gonna make a break for it if I let you go before you agreed." Yet another awful save. That was twice in less than twenty-four hours.

Cloud was blushing an extraordinary shade of red, and was speechless.

Elici and Graves were laughing, and Ratcliff just smiled at Cloud.


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"Now."

"No..."

"Now!"

"...No..."

The contents of the bag shifted as it was held out to the reluctant blond. Light blue eyes stared into the brilliant blue eyes of the SOLDIER.

"It's something you have to do."

"I don't have to do anything." Eager eyes glanced at the clock above in Zack's kitchen. Two more hours until lights out. He was growing anxious, and Zack could tell.

However Zack was a stubborn man. Almost as stubborn as the blond who stood there, with his right arm slung across his waist, gripping his tender side with a look of meek defiance. It was his pathetic gesture in denying the only remedy for a confirmed bruised rib – tons of ice.

"You need to do this. It'll help with the pain and healing." Zack was now reading off an information care sheet given to them after Cloud was forced to see the on duty doctor. He chucked it off to the side in annoyance, and it landed underneath the coffee table.

"I hate ice."

Zack released a very controlled sigh through his nose. This breath was unnervingly calm and caused Cloud to rightfully take a step back towards the front door. Zack was scaring the hell out of him.

And before the blond could react, in what was literally two blinks of his eyes, he found himself dangerously close to the chest of the SOLDIER who somehow made a six foot gap between them disappear instantly.

Cloud let out a small gasp, not having even been able to follow this movement, or even the next one that followed.

Zack grabbed Cloud by the wrist a bit roughly, his face remaining emotionless as he suddenly flung the unsuspecting boy against the couch.

He landed with a startled cry, the sound of his weight making the couch give out a leathery squeak. He then found himself pinned on his back, sprawled across the couch with the SOLDIER on his knees above him, leaning in.

Short, restrained breaths were flowing from the trembling boy, his eyes darting uncontrollably across the stoic face of Zack who was inches away with those enamoring blue eyes, that strong jawline, those plush pillowy lips...

His hand still pressed Cloud's wrist to the surface of the couch. Cloud squirmed.

"Z-Zack...what...are you d-doing?"

Zack hushed him, his eyes reflecting into Cloud what could have been mistaken for...lust? He could feel Zack begin to lift his shirt slowly, smiling to the shocked expression of the boy beneath him.

The cool air of the apartment kissed Cloud's damp skin beneath his clothing as it was gracefully lifted up to his neck.

Grasping onto a single word in his mind was impossible as he just lay there, dubious. Cloud whimpered, shocked, and slightly aroused. That was until a sharp feeling of ice was pressed up against his rib cage, and then the sound of Zack's amused chuckle followed as the boy gasped and writhed beneath him. His struggle was short-lived as Zack squeezed his wrist, telling the boy he wasn't going to win this battle. Cloud gave in and lay there, wincing from the pain that was temporarily increased by the cold substance.

After a few minutes of silence between them, and Zack still on top of him, Cloud began to relax as the pain became void from the ice. Zack continued to hold it there, staring down at the blushing boy beneath him who just had his eyes closed and his neck craned as far into the couch cushions as he possibly could, as if trying to worm his way from the ice. Or perhaps worm away from Zack's amorous look he was unconsciously holding on his face.

Zack was fighting off the suggesting arousal between his legs, but he just couldn't resist acting this way to the boy. He was scared of his own actions, but something just told him that what he was doing was okay, that it was right. Cloud almost seemed to be enjoying it too, perhaps, as his pale face had a gentle wash of red.

Cloud's own arousal that should have been there was denied by the shrill feeling of the cold ice on his side. And had this been any other circumstance, he would have been pitching that proverbial tent, as the boys would call it. He was thankful that he wasn't going camping at the moment.

"There," Zack said, his voice coming out a bit more sultry-sounding than he planned, and quickly cleared his throat. "That wasn't so bad, was it?" It was still a bit suggestive-sounding, he critiqued, but a little bit better.

Cloud shook his head weakly from side to side, swallowing hard. "N-no..."

The SOLDIER watched as Cloud licked his lips unconsciously through the subsiding pain, and it made Zack's heart jump and his breath hitch silently in his chest. Zack unconsciously licked his own lips in rebuttal. He wanted to dip his head down while he had Cloud there and taste the smooth lips that made him a bit crazy at times, admittedly.

Zack was a person who always looked people in the eye as they talked, and his gaze wouldn't really wander off, unless it was a pretty woman of course. But, as more time passed with Cloud, he found his eyes straying off and watching his mouth move as he spoke. He liked to watch as the corners of Cloud's mouth would rise as he said certain words, or how his bottom lip would retreat in between his teeth when he would nibble on it in concentration. Or how his tongue would dart out, moistening them with the honey of his mouth, coating them, causing them to glisten in the sunlight. They just begged for Zack to punish them for causing his eyes to stray in the first place. How he wanted to punish them...

But he did nothing of the sort as they lay there in another bout of silence.

Cloud moaned slightly as he shifted the shoulder of the arm that was still pinned against the warming leather of Zack's couch. It squeaked beneath him, drowning out yet another small moan from the blond as he shifted uncomfortably again.

Zack's heightened hearing picked up both moans, however, and the sound went straight between his legs.

"Zack?" Cloud said softly, throughout the still space between them.

"Yeah?" Zack slowly lowered his head, his eyes flickering back and forth on the lips that formed his name.

Breathing quickened, air became stifled, skin grew damp, and lips parted.

Heads lifted and lowered in unison, inching their way to the other in a silent scream of need.

The damn phone rang.

Breathing ceased, air became cold, skin dried up. Lips mouthed a four letter expletive.

"Here..." Zack released Cloud's reddened wrist from his hand and gave him the ice pack. "Shiva help you if that ice pack is not on your side by the time I hang the phone up. You will regret it."

Cloud nodded with a look of terror on his face.

The couch squeaked as body weight was lifted from it.

And the phone stopped ringing when it was answered with an annoyed greeting.

"Oh, Kunsel. N-no, not botherin' me." Couldn't have been more of a lie.

Cloud lifted slowly on the couch, peering over the back of it and watching as Zack paced back and forth in his kitchen as he spoke to the 2nd. Cloud's face was ghostly white.

"Yeah," he said, nodding to the phone, "thanks for telling me earlier."

Eyes glanced up to the clock, he was still okay. It wasn't time to report back yet. He relaxed a little.

Zack stopped pacing, his back turned to Cloud and he spoke softly, secretively. "Yeah, he's okay. He went."

Cloud knew the phone call was about him, and he now knew that it was Kunsel who was Zack's little 'birdie' earlier mentioned. He lowered himself back down onto the couch, obediently still holding the ice against his bruised side.

His mind tugged over to not moments before. Had that been a look of lust in Zack's eyes? Cloud was so naïve over these sorts of things, but his heart began to pound in his chest as if confirming with a silent yell that, yes, it was what he thought it was.

A small smile swept across on Cloud's face, and he nestled himself down onto the couch with a content and pleased sigh. Maybe there could be something there, he hoped.

The sound of the phone snapping closed and the sound of the carpet swishing as Zack made his way back to the couch filled Cloud's ears.

The SOLDIER smiled down tenderly at Cloud who was still lying there holding the ice. "I see you've wised up." He sat down on the edge next to Cloud's hip, thankful that his erection was gone from the phone call. He decided it best not to try any more suggestive things for the rest of the night. He didn't want to scare the boy.

"Um..." Cloud shifted again, wincing slightly. "A-about...last night..."

Zack looked away. "Yeah, sorry about that."

"No...it's okay." Cloud sat up a little. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have...been imposing like that."

"Don't apologize to me, Cloud. You were just being a good friend."

Cloud nodded. "I was just...scared, is all."

"Scared?" Zack's attention went back to the young blond who held a painful look on his face, as if he were just informed of a death. "Why on Gaia would you be scared?"

"I thought...I lost you."

"What!?" Zack's mind was reeling and he stared down at the boy with nothing short of a bewildered expression.

Cloud shook his head, forming the phrase a bit better in his brain. "I-I mean I thought I did something to offend you, and I was worried that you didn't want to talk to me anymore."

That bewildered expression melted into a look of acceptance, and tender concern. "Spikey why would you think that?"

Cloud hated that nickname. He hated all nicknames.

"It was...awkward."

"And what I just did to you wasn't?"

Cloud turned his head towards the back of the couch, staring at the intricate creases in the leather. Zack could see his eyes trailing them along in thought. He replied with silence, but the ghost of a smile on his lips suggested that it wasn't so much as awkward, as it was strangely enjoyable. Those lips were moistened again – glistened, unpunished.

Zack's heart began to pound in his chest. Maybe there could be something there, he hoped.


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...To be continued in Chapter Four: Flinch.