Chapter Three: Nine in the Afternoon

Cloud groaned as light streamed in through the window. Not yet, he thought groggily, pulling his pillow over his head. I don't wanna get up yet. My head is throbbing, it's Saturday morning and I have leave this week. He then felt something warm on his chest. Wait a sec...something... warm? On my chest? But that would mean--

Immediately, the blonde sat bolt up, hitting his head on something hard. Whatever-- who ever-- he collided with fell back, giving an “oof” sound. Cloud clapped a hand to his forehead, falling back on his bed.

“Damnit...” he groaned and slowly pushed himself up. He shielded his eyes slightly as he noticed that it was Zack. The black haired man had toppled backwards and off the bed from their collision. “Damnit, Zack!” Cloud hissed, laying back down and moving the pillow over his eyes again. “Your head is hard as a rock--”

“Sorry! I was just making sure you were okay!” Zack whined. “How are you feeling...?”

“Shh, not so loud. I feel like I was trampled by a herd of chocobo. I ache all over.”

“I'm sorry. I shouldn't have given you the vodka...”

“It's fine,” Cloud groaned, rolling onto his stomach. “Just keep it down or shut up.” Zack went quiet before climbing back onto Cloud's bed. Cloud felt the bed sink slightly and closed his eyes.

“What happened to my shirt...?” he questioned, his voice muffled slightly by the pillow and sheets.

“It was stained so I took it off you.”

“...Oh.” Cloud mumbled.

“Cloud, I'm gunna go out and get breakfast. You should get up.” The weight from the bed was lifted and in a few steps, the other man had crossed from Cloud's bed to the door. The sound of air rushing in and a slight chill signaled the opening of the door. A “swoosh” and “click” signaled its close after Zack's departure. Cloud smiled slightly into his sheets. He's probably going to bring back some ridiculous thing for me to eat too. When it came to friends, Cloud figured, Zack was the best of the best. He was a tad flirtatious and the blonde wasn't too used to the flirting or the crude jokes... yet. That was something Zack had always said.

“You'll get used to the jokes soon, Spike, don't worry about it. Just kinda go with it for now!” Cloud had hated that nickname.

“Spike? Your hair is crazier than mine!”

“Then you want me to call you 'Choco' instead? Cause I could call you Choco or Chocobo Head.”

“... No, no, Spike is just fine,” Cloud had said, cheeks burning a bright red. The older man hand just laughed and ruffled Cloud's hair, blinking in surprise when he found that it was actually soft.

“Don't you use hair gel in this?” Zack had asked.

“Nope.”

“Hair spray?”

“Nope.”

“Then what?”

“It's natural.” Of course, Zack had stared at Cloud in shock.

“There's no way...” The dark haired man gaped. Cloud felt the red rise to his cheeks but he had just smiled and nodded.

“Yeah, it's completely natural. I could dump a bucket of water on it and it still wouldn't go down. It'll always stick like this,” Cloud had admitted, smiling more. Zack couldn't seem to think of anything to say, instead patting the boy's head and ruffling the hair which stuck up on its own. Cloud fidgeted, hating being touched. Finally, he swatted Zack's hand away...

The memory faded into darkness with Zack laughing at Cloud's swatting. Cloud had dozed off again when he had meant to get up, but he was more tired than he'd originally realized.

--

Zack was heading back to his and Cloud's room when Reno stopped him.

“Hey, where's your cadet, yo?” The red head asked.

“My...cadet?” Zack asked, clueless.

“Yeah. Spiky. The chocobo headed one, yo.”

“Oh! Spike's back in the room, why?”

“...No reason. You know the SOLDIERs' quarters are just about finished, right, yo?” The red head crossed his arms. Zack raised an eyebrow. Why is he acting weird? He wondered as Reno walked by, saying something that Zack didn't catch. The dark haired man shrugged, continuing on his way.

He got to their room and punched in the numbers on the keypad. With a soft “beep”, the light on the pad turned green. Swoosh-- the door opened. Zack stepped in and with another “swoosh”, the door closed. He put his fists to his hips and looked around the room. The other two cadets who shared the room with them were gone, having left sometime shortly after he did. He noticed the lump in Cloud's bed and chuckled.

He's still asleep? Zack thought, smiling and walking to the bed. Cloud was laying on his stomach, the blankets up to about his shoulders. His face was resting on his arms, which were folded, and the pillow was on his head. Zack smiled a bit more. It's like he's a sandwich. Blankets, Cloud, blankets.

The blonde continued to sleep peacefully as Zack stood there, chuckling to himself. He hadn't the heart to wake the young man, so he turned and walked out of the room.

--

There was no knock on the door. That's how he knew. Once the door opened, Sephiroth didn't even need to look up to know that it was Zack. The silver haired man continued writing the report he was finishing.

“Hey, Seph, what's up?”

“Working.” Came the curt reply from the General. Zack frowned, walking to the other's desk and leaning on it, his back to Sephiroth.

“What will you do when you're done?”

“Sleep.”

“Again with the short replies,” Zack sighed, raising his hands with his palms facing up. He shrugged before dropping the pose. “One- or two-word replies are your specialty, huh?”

Sephiroth finally looked up from under his long lashes, those piercing green slit eyes giving Zack an annoyed look. However, Zack wasn't looking at Sephiroth and didn't see the look. The General went back to work, sighing.

“I don't use only one- and two-word replies, Zack,” he said, though they were both already aware of this fact. Zack looked back to Sephiroth over his shoulder, grinning broadly. Sephiroth didn't bother glancing up. This conversation was becoming a daily thing between the two, so Sephiroth already knew that the other was grinning without seeing it.

“Of course not.”

“So what new thing have you come to hound me over today?”

“Aw, I never hound you. I just talk to you! Make your day more lively!”

Sephiroth stopped writing, looking up with an eyebrow raised. Zack was facing the other, his hands on Sephiroth's desk as he leaned forward, over the mahogany desk. The General waited. Zack said nothing, grinning. Does he really believe that's what he's doing? Sephiroth thought.

“Okay, I'll bite. You make my day more lively. What is it today?”

“Cloud”

“...” The name sounded vaguely familiar. Oh yes. 'His' cadet. “ 'Your' cadet, correct?”

“Haha! He's not my cadet, he's my friend!”

“Of course. What about him?”

“Well... Actually, I feel kind of bad. I took him out to Loveless CODE last night and... well...” Zack looked away. Sephiroth had gone back to writing, not quite listening enough to notice that the other had stopped talking. However, after a few moments, he noticed the silence and looked up.

“Zack?”

“Huh? Oh... Sorry... Yeah...” Zack looked to Sephiroth, then away. “Well, we went out and I was playing and he kinda got drunk. So now he's got this really bad hangover and I think he's mad at me.”

“If he's mad, I am certain he won't be for long,” the General replied, going back to his report. Zack tilted his head, considering what the other said.

“You think so?”

“I think it would be impossible for anyone to be mad at you for long.”

“Really?” Zack's face lit up. “Just like a puppy,” Sephiroth recalled Angeal saying.

“Who?” The General had asked.

“My trainee, Zack.”

Sephiroth looked back up to Zack then. “I'm positive.”

Zack practically beamed. “Maybe I should go-- Oh, wait... He's still asleep.”

“It's nearly noon. Go wake him. Cadets shouldn't waste their days.”

Zack thought about it, then nodded and bounded out. Sephiroth smiled slightly and went back to finishing his reports.

--

Cloud had managed to get himself out of bed. He made his way into the bathroom and stripped off his clothes. He turned on the water before climbing in, leaning against one of the walls. He closed his eyes again, focusing vaguely on the feeling of the water drumming along his skin in sheets.

He caught himself when he'd begun to sway, jerking himself awake. He sighed and began to wash his hair before soaping down his body.

“Kuraudo”

Cloud lifted his head a bit. Zack's back already? I wonder how long I was out for... He thought, suppressing a yawn. He jumped when he heard the other slam open the bathroom door.

“Cloud, you showering?”

“Yeah,” the blonde grumbled.

“Wanna go out again later?”

“No.”

“Are...Are you angry with me?”

“...Not really, no. I just don't feel up to going out.”

“We don't have to go to a club.”

“You're not the kind to go somewhere quiet.” Cloud smiled. He really feels bad.

“I will though! I mean, quiet's good too. We can go and talk...”

“Talk?”

“Yeah!”

“About...?”

“Uhm...”

Cloud had gotten him there. The blonde couldn't help but grin. “How about we do that tomorrow? I still feel really tired.”

“Are you sick?”

“What? No, I don't think so.”

“Just checking.”

“Okay... Well, I'm going to get out now.”

“I'll watch,” the dark haired man teased. Cloud's cheeks flushed. Why must he always make jokes like that?

“No, that's okay.”

“Aw, but Cloooooud.” But he heard Zack close the door, leaving the room. Cloud smiled a bit and finished washing up, rinsing himself off. He turned off the water and climbed out of the shower, drying himself off.

End Chapter 3

“Cause it's nine in the afternoon

And your eyes are the size of the moon

You could cause you can so you do

We're feeling so good

just the way that we do

when it's nine in the afternoon”

“Nine in the Afternoon” Panic at the Disco

--

Author's Note: Okay, so it's a bit longer of a chapter than the other two. I hope you all enjoyed it. It's now nearly 3:30AM and I've got work in a few hours, so this is all I'll write tonight.

Ah, looks like Seph made his appearance. This is my first time writing a character like him so I hope I don't screw up R&R. Much love to you all. Stay tuned for more.

Also, each chapter takes a few hours to write considering I tend to multitask when I'm on my computer. Since the school year is ending, there should be more frequent updates except for finals week. Wish me luck then! Until chapter four! See you all

R.M.