Haunted, a Cloud/Reno story

By Kigichi and Bekas Strife

Contains extremely OOC!Reno, slight OOC!Cloud, MPreg, angst and much more.

Disclaimer: These characters and the world where they live in aren't ours. Only the storyline is.

AN: Kigichi mostly writes Reno and Bekas Cloud.

Enjoy!

Marluxia licked his lips, whistling lowly. "… You're having triplets." He breathed. "Two boys and a little girl…"

Blinking, Reno opened his mouth to speak before closing it again. Repeating the movements several times, he looked down at his gel covered stomach in amazement. "Cloud..." He whispered. "We're gonna have three..." He gulped. "Th-three..."

"I think I'm gonna have another heart attack." Cloud wheezed, overwhelmed. One was great, two too but THREE? "I guess we need another crib." He joked faintly.

Looking up in shock, Reno waved his arms widely, shaking his head. "N-no…! Don't have another heart attack! Please don't!" Was it too much? Were they too many? Did he want to get rid of one? Gulping, Reno steeled his nerves and looked at Cloud. "W-we can… give one away… if it's too much…" He wouldn't kill it but if the stress was too much for Cloud he WOULD put one up for adoption.

The blond looked at Reno as if the redhead had grown another head. "Like hell; I'm not going to give up one of my children!" Cloud exclaimed weakly, glaring at Reno. "We can do this." He stated, determined.

"Actually..." Marluxia interjected, not smiling and looking as serious as ever. "It would be better if you gave up one. As in… killing it..."

Reno froze. Turning slowly, he licked his lips and gave his friend a disbelieving look. "Wh-what...?"

"I believe that finding that you're going to have triplets is thrilling but... you're a man, Reno." Marluxia sighed softly. "Your body isn't prepared for this. One baby is alright, two... I'm almost 100 per cent sure that you can endure it but three? It's... too much. It can be risky if you go ahead with this."

Tears welled up in the small man's eyes, spilling over and dripping down Reno's face to land on his clenched and quivering hands. He would have to give up one of his children, his babies. Shoulders shaking, he sniffed and looked up, determination burning in his eyes. "What is the chance that all three will survive?"

"Reno, the problem here is you." Marluxia tried to reason. "You can die."

Reno flinched, placing his hands back on his stomach. "...What is the chance I will survive?"

"I'd say around 40, 35 per cent." Marluxia said honestly.

Biting his lip once more, Reno looked down and rubbed his stomach gently. "Then... that's enough." He looked back up, voice firm. "I'm not giving them up."

Marluxia sighed sadly. "As your doctor, and mostly as your friend, I must ask you to reconsider it... WE don't want to lose you, Reno. Will you leave your children without a mother if you're not part of the 35 per cent?"

"I'm not giving them up." Reno repeated, glaring slightly at the taller man and curling inward, hugging his stomach. "Even if there was a 1% chance that I would survive, I would take it." He flashed Marluxia a grin. "I'm a Turk, yo. I never go down without a fight!"

Marluxia studied Reno's face before looking over at Cloud, seeing him with his face turned to the opposite wall. "What do you say, Cloud? It's also your choice: they're your children as well."

Cloud didn't turn. "I don't want to lose Reno." He said lowly, almost tiredly. "But I don't want to lose any of my children either... Thing is, he's the one carrying them. His decision weights way more than mine."

Hearing his lover's tired tone; Reno sighed and turned to face him. Picking up one of the blond's hands, he gave the top of it a kiss before placing it on his gel covered stomach, allowing him to feel the kicks. "Cloud...I want to try…" He leaned forward to press his cheek to Cloud's, sniffing slightly. "I don't want to kill them and... What if everything would have been alright if we hadn't removed one? I wouldn't be able to live with myself if that happened."

Cloud closed his eyes, turning his face to nuzzle his nose against Reno's. "I understand but..." He opened his wet eyes. "I don't to lose everything."

Reno reached out and hugged Cloud tightly, shoulders shaking. He couldn't stand to see his lover's pain. "I'll remove one if you really want me to." It would kill him, but to ensure that he didn't abandon Cloud, he would do anything.

"No." Cloud shook his head. The doubt killed him but it would hurt him more to see his lover shatter. "If you don't want to, no baby is removed." He said as firmly as he could at the moment before looking at Marluxia. "... Sorry. We'll keep the three."

Lowering his head, Marluxia nodded, sighing sadly. "I can't stop you it's your decision… but... I do have some conditions." Pulling up his clipboard, he began to write on it. "I'm writing out a list of pregnancy vitamins I want Reno to take every day. No lifting weights, no running, jumping or other fast movements." He glanced up, narrowed eyes locked on the couple in front of him. "I don't want him to WALK if he doesn't have to. You need to be careful. Anything could set off a miscarriage or complicate the birthing process as time goes on."

Reno sighed loudly in protest but Cloud nodded. "I'll make sure he'll be good." He reassured.

"Good!" Handing Cloud the piece of paper with the list of vitamins on it, Marluxia shot the two a smile. "I'll come by later with a few oils and such that Reno should rub on his skin and a few foods he should be eating." Seeing the redhead's pout, Marluxia smiled and reached out to ruffle his hair. "Don't be so sad kiddo. This is what's best for you."

Sighing again, Reno nodded and leaned against Cloud, wiggling a bit as the gel was cleaned off of him. "Yea, I know... doesn't mean I won't hate it." But for the survival of his children, he would do anything.

"You were the one who choose your path." Marluxia smiled sadly, shaking his head. "Now, you just got to endure it."

"You sound like an old man."

Marluxia rolled his eyes. "You're lucky I'm on duty now." He sighed dramatically. "I'll be back later to check on the real injured here." He said, patting Cloud's soft hair before leaving, sending Tifa and the kids in.

Rushing into the room, Tifa and the kids ran over, excitement on their faces. "Well…?" Tifa shouted, reaching over to place her palms on Reno's stomach. "What we got in here?"

"Two boys and a girl…" Reno grinned. He wouldn't let them know of the risks; At least, not yet.

Squealing, Marlene and Denzel added their hands to the belly touch, grin on their faces. "Three…?" Marlene cried out excitedly.

"You're gonna be HUGE!" Denzel marveled, eyes wide. Reno was really small and skinny so he was gonna be BIG.

"Heeeeeeeeeeey..." Pouting, Reno crossed his arms and huffed, glaring playfully at the boy. "Leave me alone!" Grumbling, he reached out and poked Cloud's head. "I blame you."

Cloud smiled softly. "Let's not discuss whose fault it is again." He asked, kissing Denzel's temple when the boy settled beside him.

Grinning, Reno reached over and heaved Marlene onto his lap. "You're getting heavy, princess! Are you growing up?" He asked, poking the tip of her nose with a finger. "You're gonna have the boys bowed down by your feet in no time!"

Marlene giggled, blushing. "Don't say that..." She asked lowly, embarrassed.

"And why not…?" Reno demanded, putting his hands on his hips, 'Mommy' style. "I'll have you know that I have NEVER seen a prettier girl then you! You shall RULE over the boys!" He smirked. "And I shall show you how!"

"As long as she doesn't use me as bait…!" Denzel giggled, running his fingers down Cloud's hair. Pausing, he looked at the blonde's peaceful expression. "... Dad…?" He called but got no response. "Aww, he fell asleep..."

Glancing over, Reno pouted. "And just when we found out as well..." A smirk came to his face. "Anyone got a sharpie?"

"Aw, just let him rest." Tifa scolded gently, rubbing Cloud's ankle through the blankets. "He needs to rest if he wants to be healthy enough to get the hell out of here."

Humming, Reno nodded and let Marlene go in favor of settling down next to the blond. "Right…" He had forgotten for a moment that Cloud was still injured. "… Tifa... do you... think he's gonna be fine?"

"Marluxia said he would." Tifa smiled reassuringly. "Oh, and I told Yuffie about Cloud so that she could tell the others, just in case. I expect everyone, even Rufus, to know about it already. It's just people try to contact you two and can't get a grab of you: they might get worried, thinking something much worse happened." She explained, turning to look back at cloud. "Cloud's strong. He'll be alright."

Nodding, Reno placed his head back down on the pillow and sighed, making sure he was as close to Cloud as he could manage to get. "Thanks. I don't want to worry anyone." Settling down further, he yawned slightly, since all of the excitement had exhausted him.

Tifa smiled and looked at her watch. "Whoa. It's late." She said, picking up Marlene and placing her on the other bed. "Goodnight, guys." She said softly before switching off the lights.

All of them needed some rest.

A few hours later found Reno sitting up in bed, one hand over the bulge on his front, the other running through Cloud's soft hair. He had sat up the moment Tifa and the kids had fallen asleep so that he could think.

He thought about Cloud and how Marluxia had said that he had been stressed for so long. 'It could have happened at any time.' Does that mean it could happen again? He didn't think Cloud would be able to survive if it did. Brushing some hair away from his lover's face, Reno cringed at the shadows under his eyes and how his breath seemed shallow and strained. "Don't worry; I'm going to take care of you." Reno whispered. Looking down, he rubbed his stomach, a twinge of worry coursing through him. "All of us." He would not lose the children. Nor would he die. He refused to abandon Cloud like that. Yawning slightly, he laid down next to the blond, cuddling as close as he could get with his hands still on his stomach. "It will be okay, you'll see." He mumbled, drifting off.

On the next morning, Cloud was the first opening his eyes, finding himself as the middle of a Reno and Denzel sandwich. He smiled softly; feeling a little better than he had felt a day before.

Shifting a bit, Denzel cracked his eyes open and yawned, woken by Cloud's movements. "Dad…?" He mumbled, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. "How ya doin…?"

Cloud smiled softly. "Better." But it still hurt to breathe a little. "Slept well?"

"Fine… How is your chest?" the boy hadn't missed his dad's wince when he moved too much. "You want me to get Marluxia?"

"No, I'm alright. Just still a bit sore..." Cloud reassured, grabbing Denzel's hand and gently squeezing it.

Squeezing back, Denzel looked over at Reno, biting his lip in worry. "He didn't sleep last night. I woke up around two and he was just sitting there, looking at you and rubbing his stomach."

Cloud looked over at Reno. "I had a feeling he would." He whispered, shifting and hissing in pain.

Reaching out, Denzel pushed Cloud back to the bed. "If it hurts then don't move." He sighed, hopping off the bed. "I'm gonna get you two something to eat." He grinned. "Mom is eating for four now! He needs it!"

The blond nodded. "Thanks. I think I saw my wallet on the desk at the end of the bed yesterday."

Snorting, Denzel ran out of the room. "Are you kidding…? Marly works here! We don't have to pay for a thing!"

Cloud rolled his eyes and settled down, studying the ceiling as he rubbed the skin over his heart. He never thought such thing could happen. He had always been healthy because of his Mako and Jenova cells...

He could be dead at the moment.

Coming back a few moments later, Denzel ran into the room with a cart full with eggs, sausage, toast, orange juice and milk, coffee, cereal and pancakes. "Here we go!" Wheeling it over, he pulled out a plate and turned to Cloud. "What do you want?"

"Whatever you want to give me..." Cloud grinned, opening his mouth.

"...What are you, a bird?" Denzel asked, spooning out a large helping of eggs, sausage and pancakes. Handing them to Cloud, he rolled over the bed tray and set it in front of him, putting the coffee, milk and syrup on it. "There ya go! And if anyone asks, I SO did not steal a food cart from the cafeteria." He said with a sneaky grin.

Cloud felt his eyes widen. "Denzel!" He chuckled, stopping as his chest flared. "Oww... and Daddy's hurt, you should feed him." He pouted, picking up a fork and chucking a bit of pancakes into his mouth. Damn, he was famished.

Chuckling, Denzel took the fork from Cloud and speared on another bite of pancake onto it, holding it to his mouth. "Here ya go daddy! Eat up!"

Cloud took the food, ruffling Denzel's hair. "Thanks."

"Welcome!" The boy continued to feed Cloud until the plate was empty. "Do you want more?" He asked, handing Cloud some coffee.

The blond shook his head, full. "No, thanks..." He grinned, taking a sip of the hot liquid and welcoming Denzel to his side.

Hopping up next to his dad, Denzel took a plate for himself and quickly ate the food. "What about Reno? Shouldn't he eat?" He questioned, looking at the still slumbering redhead.

"He also needs to rest. He'll eat when he wakes up." Cloud shook his head, circling his arm around Denzel after shaking the tubes attached to him out of the way.

Shifting closer to his father's side, Denzel let loose a long breath and looked up. "Dad... what's wrong with Mom? Tifa and Marlene didn't see it but I could. Something is wrong."

Cloud sipped his coffee silently. "Mom will have to take care during his pregnancy." He explained softly. "Three babies are a lot to handle."

Eyes narrowing, Denzel reached up and grabbed the coffee cup, lowering it. "How dangerous…?" He demanded softly. "Is he in trouble?"

Cloud eyed Denzel. "... Something bad can happen if he doesn't take care." He said only. 'He can die.' "Don't talk about this with anyone... it's hard to handle, okay?" He asked softly.

Taking in the desperate look on Cloud's face, Denzel nodded. "Yea...right..." He wouldn't speak about it. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Keep Reno on the line." Cloud winked. "Don't let him do much. I won't let him either."

"... Yea... this will be easy…"

The blond nodded. "Everything will be fine." He reassured, squeezing Denzel against his side reassuringly.

Hugging Cloud back, Denzel bit his lip and reached out to touch the growing lump on Reno's stomach. "Dad... will you still love us?" He looked up. "Me and Marlene that is... when the babies are born?"

Cloud looked down at Denzel and then smiled warmly. "Of course I will. We may not be connected by blood but in my heart, you'll always be my first born." He reassured, kissing Denzel's forehead tenderly. "You're my son, don't ever forget that."

Sighing in relief, Denzel nodded and hugged back. "Alright... I just wanted to make sure." Hugging Cloud for a few more moments, he pulled back with a grin. "So... three huh…?"

"Yeah, three..." Cloud smiled, nodding.

Humming, Denzel settled back down with a laugh. "Enjoy that."

"Hey... You're their big brother; you're going to help me."

"Yea, but I get to leave at sometimes." Another snicker "You get them AND mom."

"... Evil you…"

"You love me! I'm your first born, remember?"

Cloud chuckled, wincing. "Don't use my words against me." He advised, giving the boy a look.

Smirking, Denzel mirrored the look. "Why not…?"

"Because it may go back and bite you in the ass. I'm the authority here and, especially, at home. I have full power over the Wii, the grilled-cheese sandwiches... among many, many others."

Denzel just grinned. "And I have the power to go out and leave you with the triplets and a sugar high mom all day!"

"Who said I would let you leave at all? You're going to be my slave." Cloud grinned.

Denzel pouted. "I'm gonna tell Tifa on you!" He cried, making to get off the bed. "I'm telling her you're being a mean dad!"

"She's sleeping. If you wake her up, I'll look like a saint next to you."

At the exact moment there came a knock on the door followed by a very familiar voice. "Cloud…? You awake?"

Smirking, Denzel turned back to the blond and raised an eyebrow. "You were saying?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at the blond's wide eyed look. Giggling, he pointed to the bed where only Marlene was lying. "She got up about ten minutes before you and left to shower."

"Yeah, I'm awake and being harassed by Denzel." Cloud said, smirking at the boy. Better get the advantage before Denzel does.

Walking into the room, Tifa frowned, towel slung around her shoulders to catch any water that might fall from her still damp hair. "Denzel..."

Sputtering, Denzel waved his arms frantically. "Am not…! Dad made me feed him!" He pouted, giving Tifa the puppy dog eyes. "He said I was his slave."

Eyes narrowing, Tifa turned to glare at the blond. "Cloud..."

"He refuses to help me with the triplets, he's using my own words against me and he nearly chocked me when feeding me!" Cloud whined, placing a hand over his heart. "I'm injured, he doesn't have a heart!"

"He said I was a slave, snored in my ear all night and said he was gonna make me stay home all day!" Denzel countered, fake tears coming to his eyes. "It's not fair!"

"Lies…!" Cloud hissed in fake pain, his hand still over his heart.

"You're the liar, Capitan Snore!" Denzel hissed back, a few tears spilling over as he turned back to Tifa, sniffing. "Tifa... you believe me... don't you?"

Swooping down, Tifa engulfed the small boy in a hug. "Oh, sweetie, of COURSE I believe you!" Glancing up at Cloud, she glared. "Shame on you for taking advantage of Denzel in your state…!" From behind Tifa, Denzel raised a hand and flashed Cloud the victory sign.

The blond settled down on his pillows, rubbing his chest. All of this excitement had actually tired him a bit. "Whatever." He mumbled.

Looking up, Denzel felt a flash of guilt for his father's tiredness. Crawling onto the bed, he hugged him around the middle. "Sorry."

Cloud smiled and shook his head. "Not your fault." He soothed, hugging the boy back.

Smiling, Denzel turned to Tifa. "Cloud didn't do most of the stuff I said he did." He admitted.

"I know!" Tifa replied, walking over to the cabinet on the other side of the room to deposit her stuff.

Denzel looked at her, wide eyed. "You do?"

"Yep…! I was listening at the door."

"Then why..."

"It was fun."

Cloud chuckled, coughing and wincing. "You're terrible." He said at Tifa, resting his head on top of Denzel's.

Smirking, Tifa nodded and came by, handing Cloud a glass of water. "And you love it!"

Cloud accepted the glass of water with a grateful smile, taking a few sips. "Never said I didn't..." He smiled, scratching his nose. "Can't Marluxia take these off me? At least this one..." He mumbled, picking on the tube on his nose and sneezing.

Chuckling, Tifa shook her head. "Nope; Hospital's rules... It stays on." And it was a bit amusing to see Cloud batting at it like a small child.

"But it's uncomfortable, it hurts too." Cloud made a face, leaving the Tube of Doom alone.

"Deal with it…" the sleepy mumble next to Cloud came. Rolling over slightly, Reno sat up and scratched his head, hair wild and all over the place after a night of sleep. "I've had them a few times too. They suck."

"Morning…" Cloud greeted, brushing the hair that was in front of his lover's face away gently. "And I hate this. I hate hospitals; I hate everything related to it."

"Even me?" Marluxia asked, bursting into the room with a grin.

Reno giggled at the pink haired man's dramatic entrance. "Nice timing, yo." He mumbled, accepting the large plate of food Denzel offered him, devouring it before going for the second. "To what do we own this happy, rainbow filled visit?"

"I came to visit our patient." Marluxia chuckled, sitting on the bed and next to Cloud. "How are we today, Man of the Weak-Heart?"

Sitting up to make more room for Marluxia, Cloud hissed a bit, wincing. "A bit of pain but I'm fine."

"Take it easy pal." Marluxia advised, laying a hand on the skin above Cloud's heart. "Lemme check you out."

Cloud nodded and looked a bit awkward as Marluxia started unbuttoning the first three buttons of his vest. "This looks so wrong." Tifa giggled, resting her head on her hand, trying to hide her grin.

Grinning, Reno wolf whistled. "Ohh... Marly! I'm telling Vexen!" He cooed, giggling at the look on his lover's face. "What's the matter, Cloudy? Can't take Marly's touch?"

"Shut up, you should be jealous." Cloud mumbled, watching as Marluxia carefully examined him.

"Take a deep breath." The pink haired man asked and watched as Cloud did what he was told and stopped midway as the pain made him gasp.

Face scrunched up in slight concern, Reno reached out to place a soothing hand on Cloud's head. "Take it easy." He mumbled, grinning to try and distract him. "And why would I be jealous? I get plenty of Marly's hugs and touches!"

"He doesn't grope you." Cloud whispered in pain.

"I didn't grope you! You're hot but too young for me." Marluxia chuckled, finishing his examination. "You need to take it easy. Your heart is still recovering. You should be fine in two weeks."

Smiling, Reno leaned over to nuzzle his lovers face. "Two weeks? Don't worry. I'll take care of you!" He would help nurse his lover back to health. Pulling back, he winced and placed a hand on his stomach. "OW! Damn it!"

"Have you eaten?" Marluxia asked, buttoning Cloud's vest and patting his chest when done.

Nodding, Reno bit his lips and winched, rubbing his stomach. "Yeah... Two big plates…!" That should have filled him up.

Marluxia cocked his head to the side. "Then why are they demanding something?" He muttered before turning to Reno. "You have a doctor at Edge, don't you? Could you give me his number? I need to be inside all the details."

Wincing once more, Reno rubbed his stomach and nodded. "Yea sure..." Grabbing a piece of paper, he wrote down all the information Marluxia would need. "Ask for Rick Suto."

"Thank you." Marluxia grinned, getting up. "I'll talk to him right away. Today I'm off emergencies so I should have plenty of time." He said, turning to leave. "I'll come when I've come to some conclusion, darlings! Bai-bai…!"

Reno watched Marluxia leave, a small grin on his face. "That man could lead a pride parade by himself, I swear he could." Giggling, he sat back and huffed, the kicks getting stronger. "What do you want?" He muttered, rubbing the skin gently, reaching for another piece of toast. "You still hungry?" The kids kicked in denial.

"Are they hurting you?" Cloud asked softly, laying a hand on top of Reno's stomach and feeling various set of hands or feet press against it. "...?" He blinked, removing his hand and watching as the marks left by the limbs pressing against his lover's skin disappeared.

"AH!" Grimacing, Reno scrunched up as the kicks seemed to multiply. "... Damn... that hurts." He wondered briefly why they reacted calmly when Cloud touched him but chalked it all down to them liking him. They always reacted when Cloud touched him. Cloud looked up at his lover and at the lump once more, reaching to lay a hand on it: at least they would be quiet and wouldn't hurt Reno. Flinching, Reno closed his eyes and waited for the pain he knew was going to strike. Cracking them back open a few second later, he let out a low breath when instead of sharp pain he instead felt all three babies kicking and hitting like mad against Cloud's hand.

"Why are they doing that?" Tifa asked softly, hand curled against her chest in worry.

"I don't know." Reno whined, rubbing his stomach once more. "They started a few days after I got back from... that… issue..." He stole a glance at Denzel and the now awake Marlene, wording himself carefully.

Cloud nodded briefly, petting his lover's bump carefully. "Could-!"

"Alright, the guy told me five words and I already figured out what's the matter with those kids!" Marluxia entered the room with an exclamation, only stopping his rampage when he was in front of Cloud and Reno. "How long ago did you two get laid?" He asked seriously.

"Marluxia…!" Both male adults in the room shrieked in shock, slamming their hands against the children's ears.

"Are you mad?" Cloud exclaimed loudly, coughing violently as the pain in his chest flared.

"Just answer to the question!" The pink haired man urged.

Blushing redder then his hair, Reno tightened his grip on Marlene's ears, glaring at the pink haired man. "Since after the Squall incident; Happy…? Now shut up!"

Marluxia almost raised his hands to his head. "Of course the kids are getting violent. They need Jenova cells and Mako."

Reno blinked. "... Really…?" That was all they needed? Glancing over at Cloud, he gulped slightly at the shocked look on his face. He still didn't want to. Not that he could blame him. "How long can we go without it?" Cloud needed more time.

"I dunno... two weeks, one? I really don't know."

Looking over at Cloud, Reno smiled and reached out to take his hand. "That's good for you? A week…?"

"I never said there was a problem..." Cloud murmured quietly, squeezing Reno's hand and exchanging a very brief look with Tifa. "Shiva, this looks like an obligation..." He chuckled humorlessly.

Frowning, Reno released Cloud's hand and let it fall on his lap. "I'm sorry…" He muttered, staring down. "I'm not trying to push you..." He looked back up at Marluxia, desperation in his eyes. "Is there anything else I can use except Jenova and Mako?"

"Did you use anything else but Jenova cells and Mako to get pregnant?" Marluxia asked. "Sex toys don't count." He joked, watching Cloud attempting to squeeze Reno's hand again.

Sighing again, Reno closed his eyes to think, not noticing his lover attempt to touch him. "Is there any way to make something like it?" He was almost desperate now for some way to fix this.

Cloud finally gave up, letting his hand fall onto the bed. "I don't think there is, Reno." Marluxia sighed, shaking his head. "Medicine still isn't advanced enough to make a man pregnant successfully..."

"I guess there's no choice." Sighing, Reno turned and gave Cloud a sad smile. "I'm sorry but it looks like we're going to have to do it." He bit his lip, looking back down. "But it only has to be once! And quick…" He looked back up, grinning slightly. "I know you're not ready and I'm sorry but... there's no other choice..."

"Can you all... leave us alone for a bit?" Cloud asked, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

Waiting for everyone else to leave, Reno turned to Cloud the moment the door closed. "I'm sorry! We don't have to! We can find another way!"

"Stop it!" Cloud said almost harshly, causing him to cough. "You made it look like you have to beg or something like it for me to make love to you!" He explained almost sadly. "I love you. It's not an obligation. It's an act of love. I just... I want to be with you in an intimate way but I'm frikin' scared you'll remember Squall and that you'll start walking away from me." Cloud confessed.

Flinching at his lover's tone, Reno smiled sadly, nodding along with each word he spoke. When he was done, he took a deep breath before starting. "I know... I know you're scared. You're frightened that I'll remember and break even more and I don't blame you." Pausing for a moment, he sniffed. "But I know that I won't. I'm calm when you touch me. It's kind and sweet and familiar. I could never be scared of it. But I'm trying to respect what you want and that's why I'm trying to find another way..."

"When I'm out of this hell, we can try." Cloud said softly. "Just... in case something happens, I'm sorry."

Smiling, Reno nodded, reaching out to touch the top of his lover's hand. "I trust you." Cloud nodded, squeezing Reno's hand almost automatically. Sighing in relief to the returned motion, Reno leaned over and placed his forehead onto Cloud's shoulder. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. You're risking your life for the kids. The least that I can do to help is fight against my fears."

"Okay then." Softly kissing the blond's neck, Reno sighed and winced when he was kicked once more. "Oww…"

Cloud shuddered at the contact, his hand flying to his lover's. "It'll be over soon." He whispered, trying to sooth Reno's pain.

Reno shook his head. "Nah... That was the normal kidney shot. I'm used to those ones!" Chuckling, he placed his hands on top of Cloud's. "Don't worry about it so much."

"It's hard not to." The blond whispered, looking away as he shifted painfully just to lay his head next to his lover's body.

Lying down, Reno pulled Cloud closer, pressing his ear against his stomach. "They're gonna kick for a while yet. Better get used to it."

"Yeah…" Cloud whispered, sighing softly and coughing. "Won't... won't my heart be a problem here…?" He asked uncertain. "I mean... it's not like a Mako enhanced orgasm is a walk in the park..."

"That's why I want to wait the longest we can." Reno smiled, leaning down to kiss the top of Cloud's head. "We're not doing anything unless I know you're back to full strength and nothing will happen."

"But we can't wait, Reno..."

"Marly said we had two weeks."

"He said 'maybe'."

Rolling his eyes, Reno pulled Cloud closer to him. "Then I'll revive Sephiroth, get him to fuck me and kill him again but WE'RE not doing anything that can be dangerous to your life!"

".. If you do anything with Sephiroth, I'm joining Vexen, Zexion and Marluxia in a foursome."

"EWW…!"

"Shut up, you'd love to watch it." Cloud chuckled, coughing.

Pausing for a moment, Reno gave Cloud a smirk. "I'd love to be IN it. I bet Zexion can throw down some moves."

"Great then... We have all the positions. Vexen on top of us all, then Marlu, then me, Zexion and finally you; Juicy..."

Tossing his head back, Reno barked out a laugh. "I get it from everyone!"

Cloud smiled. "Now we just need to convince them to let us in."

Humming, Reno tilted his head to the side. "... let's ask! MARLY…!"

Cloud nearly choked on his tongue. "You crazy…?"

Marluxia poked his head into the room. "What? Gave Cloud another attack?" He asked, seeing Cloud's pale complexion.

Grinning widely, Reno slapped a hand over Cloud's mouth before he could say anything. "Can I and Cloud join you, Vexen and Zexion for an orgy?"

The pink haired man's eyes widened. "... Well, but OF COURSE!" He laughed. "I would have to talk with Vexen and Zexion but I'm sure that if I asked during an afterglow, they would be more than content to add you two to our bedroom of love." He bowed, grinning. "And Reno, hunny, you're killing your fiancée."

Whipping to the side, Reno's eyes widened at the sight of his lover's pale face, heart thumping as the blond gasped. "Cloud…? HEY!" Reaching out, he placed a hand on Cloud's forehead. "Hey, whoa…! Breathe, Cloud…!"

"I... can't believe... you did that!" Cloud wheezed.

"I was only joking!" Grinning, Reno gently rubbed Cloud's back. "I thought you would growl at him or something, like you usually do when someone looks at me the wrong way."

"Do I look like I can just lunge at Marluxia and growl?" Cloud asked with a small whine.

"You were joking?" Marluxia whined suddenly from the door. "Damn... Here I was thinking that I would grab a piece of Cloud's ass..." He mocked, discretely winking at Reno. 'Go with it.'

Staring at Marluxia with wide eyes, Reno snorted before fake pouting and winking back without Cloud noticing. "Aww... just Cloud…?" Looking down, he nodded sadly. "I understand. Cloud is the only pretty one..."

"I can take a piece of yours too, Reno." Marluxia chuckled. "I totally don't mind... Now, thing is that I see Cloud as an alpha male... Therefore, getting a piece of his virgin ass would be great." He grinned smugly as Cloud's face passed from pale to crimson in a matter of seconds.

Looking over at Cloud, Reno started to snicker. "Yeah... He's an alpha alright... so you might have to fight him for it!" That would be funny to see. "Good luck to ya. He's scary strong, yo."

"Oh, I happen to have a pair of handcuffs that would be able to handle him..."

Snorting, Reno shook his head, blushing a bit. "Okay. The conversation has gone from funny to creepy. I'm cutting it off." Thinking for a minute, he smiled. "Marly… have you gotten to feel the babies move yet?" He knew the pink haired man had seen them kick but he didn't think he has felt it yet.

"NO, I haven't." Marluxia said excitedly and ran towards Reno, placing his hands on his stomach. "... Damn, they're strong!" He grinned, turning to look at Cloud who just looked away. "... What, still embarrassed?"

Grunting, Reno rolled his eyes. "Will you just DROP IT?" He exclaimed, blinking a moment later. "... sorry…" Damn mood swings

"I will when Cloud manages to look to me in the eye without blushing." Marluxia sang, watching Cloud look at him and hold their look for a while before turning the color of Reno's hair. "Fail, buddy."

"GOD MOTHER FUCKING DAMN IT, DROP THE CONVERSATION!" Reno wanted it DROPPED. Huffing, Reno clenched his hands into fists and glared at both men, voice a deadly hiss. "Drop it... NOW…"

"Dropped it…" Marluxia tried to stop a grin to rise to his lips, shoulders shaking with mirth. "I stopped. See? Stopped..."

Growling lightly, Reno shot the snickering man a sweet grin. "Marly, Hunny, Love of my life, Sweet heart?"

"What?"

Grinning, Reno reached up, sweet face set in an innocent smile as he spoke. "Baby cakes, either you stop laughing and NEVER mention it again or what I did to you in the kitchen will feel like a PAPERCUT!" He smirked. "And you won't have materia this time…"

Marluxia shrieked like a school girl, hands flying to cover his family jewels. "I'll drop it! I'll drop it!"

"Good!" Turning to Cloud, the redhead gave him a matching smile. "Same goes for you!"

"I did nothing; he's the one who kept harassing me!" Cloud protested, glaring.

Reno growled. "I never want to hear about it…" He hissed before smiling again, eyes slightly insane. "Go it?"

"Fine, fine..." Cloud rolled his eyes in a mocking way, shaking his head in disbelief. 'Bipolarity, annoying as fuck…' The things he had to endure sometimes. If he didn't love Reno as much as he did… Sigh.

"GOOD!" Smiling happily, Reno leaned over and nuzzled Cloud's face. "So... when can Cloud leave?"

"Tomorrow, if everything's alright with him by the time."

Grinning happily, Reno gave Cloud's cheek a kiss. "Good! Do we need any medication for him to take?"

"Yeah, a few pills... To make his heart stronger..." Marluxia nodded, all professional already. "Which reminds me...? Cloud, does anyone in your family have cardiac problems? Anyone died because of it?"

Cloud looked at Marluxia. "I only knew my Mom and never met or heard a thing about my biological father." He said softly, watching Tifa and the kids entering the room. "My Mom died in a fire and my Dad drowned. I… I was there but I was too scared to notice if it could be something else but the lack of air." The blond whispered, rubbing his temple. "But then again it wouldn't have mattered, we didn't share blood bounds."

Frowning, Reno leaned over and hugged Cloud gently at his sadness. "It's okay." He whispered, kissing his temple. "You were small when your father died. You wouldn't have been able to do a thing."

Cloud nodded. "Yeah... But the villagers didn't care about that." He said bitterly.

Eyes narrowing, Reno pulled back. "Then what did they care about?"

"Finding the killer... My dad also didn't know how to swim. He wouldn't jump into the water, he wasn't dumb."

Reno blinked in shock. "Who... would want to kill yer dad?" He asked.

"No-one... The village loved Dad while I and Mom were the hated ones." Cloud sighed. He had never spoken of his family before to someone else. "My Mom... used to be the village's guide and during one of the trips to the Mako reactor, she got raped. I was the result. Soon after that, Dad liked Mom, Mom liked Dad, they got married and Mom started being hated for being the wife of the last of the Strife." Cloud said bitterly, crossing his arms over his chest. Shaking his head, he decided to let it drop. Too painful… "Anyway, I think Dad tripped because when I found him he was already inside the pool. Although, because I was the only one there..."

"The others thought it had been you." Tifa completed as bitterly. "I heard the old couple that lived by the inn mutter about it one day, when we were small... I just didn't believe them. They were known to be a little out of their minds."

Growling, Reno crossed his arms. "How DARE they! You loved yer Dad, we can see it by the way you talk of him!" Sniffing, Reno turned his head away with a huff. "Jackasses…! I hope they rot!" He was pissed: how DARE someone accuse his lover of killing his own father in cold blood!

Cloud shrugged. "They're dead." He deadpanned. "They died in the fire, just like my Mother. They got what they deserved."

"Good." Reno's response came, a twisted grin on his face as he rubbed his stomach. "I hope it was slow..."

The blond just closed his eyes and shrugged once more, feeling someone climbing to the bed and rest their head on his shoulder. Without even opening his eyes, he reached and petted Denzel's hair, recognizing well his son's scent. "Dad...I'm sorry..." Denzel never knew how Cloud had lost his father. Now it made sense that he was afraid of the water.

"For what…? There's nothing to apologize for." Cloud opened his eyes and smiled tiredly, ruffling the boy's hair.

Denzel shrugged, watching Reno mutter alone. "I thought you didn't like the water cause you were a wuss. I'm sorry."

"A 'wuss'…? You better start learning how to make your own grilled-cheese sandwiches, young man!"

Head shooting up, Denzel looked down at Cloud in shock. "You never told us! All I knew was that you refused to swim! Don't take away the sandwich!"

Cloud chuckled, pulling the boy back down. "Don't worry. I won't."

Heaving a sigh of relief, the boy settled back down, nuzzling Cloud's side. "Good. I would have to do something awful if you do."

"Like what?" The blond asked, exchanging an amused look with Marluxia.

"I'll put hair dye in your shampoo!" He hadn't missed the look his dad and the pink haired man exchanged. "I'll bend all your spatulas! I'll leave you here with bad soap operas on!"

"Do that and you're spending a month in Marluxia's pink and rainbow filled bedroom."

"... Okay, you win…"

"How did you know what my bedroom looks like?" Marluxia grinned, surprised.

"... I didn't."

"Oh..." Marluxia blinked, face turning a bit red. "...Well, it's not like that at all!"

Cloud cringed and hid his face on Denzel's shoulder. "Nightmares... I'll have them tonight."

Chuckling, Denzel petted Cloud's head. "Enjoy that... I'll have them too."

"Not me!" Grinning, Reno snickered and bounced a bit. "I wanna paint the baby's room rainbow!"

"No!" Both Cloud and Denzel barked, the first one coughing at the pain the action gave him.

"Two of the babies are boys: wanna make them gay before they even know that babies don't come from a shop?" Cloud asked.

Giggling widely, Reno shook his head. "Just kidding…!" He just wanted to see what the others would do if he said it. "You should have seen your faces though! Priceless..."

Marluxia chuckled and bounced up, standing. "Alright, guys. The visit time is over and I gotta go and keep my interesting talk with your other doctor." He grinned, pulling out a needle from his coat. "And I forgot Cloud's painkillers the last time I was here…" He mumbled embarrassingly. Not a thing a doctor should forget.

"It's… fine. The pain wasn't too great." Cloud murmured, swallowing hard at the sight of the object.

Eyes widening at the sight of the needle, Reno nodded and took Denzel's place next to Cloud. "Is it going to put him to sleep?" He asked, running a soothing hand through Cloud's hair.

Marluxia nodded. "Not immediately. He'll be drowsy and a bit slow for a while. Five minutes at most." He smiled apologetically at the blond staring at the needle as if it would bite.

Seeing the blond's fear, Reno settled down next to him. "Don't be scared. I'll be right here with you." There was no way he was leaving. "I'll be here when you wake up..."

"Actually, it would also be a good thing if you left for a bit." Marluxia cringed a bit. "I have the director on my neck because I let you all stay, no matter what the visiting hours are."

Snorting, Reno gave Marluxia a disbelieving look. "You'll have to drag me out by my feet yo, because I ain't going anywhere." Not until Cloud was healed.

"It's alright." Cloud said, smiling up at Reno. "I'm okay and tomorrow morning I'll be out of here."

"Besides, Cloud came in swimming trunks... we'll need to go and get him a change of clothes for tomorrow." Tifa added.

Sniffing, Reno cuddled down to Cloud's side and peeked up from where he had his head nestled on the other's neck, glaring at anyone who got to close. "Forget it. I already said I wasn't leaving." He growled, wrapping his arms around the blond's waist in an iron grip.

"Reno, I'll be alright! I'm a big boy." Cloud said gently but firmly. "Marluxia will also be around. I need you to rest, baby."

Biting his lip, Reno sighed and nodded. "... Fine... but I'm coming right back with the clothes! I can sleep in the bed next to you!" Sitting up, he slipped out of bed and left with Tifa and the kids. "I'll be here when you wake up."

Cloud smiled and nodded, waving goodbye at them. "... He'll be worse than glue... won't he?" He asked softly to Marluxia when Reno left.

Chuckling, Marluxia nodded, reaching out to take Cloud's right arm and tie a band around it. Ripping open an alcohol swab, he began to clean the area over a vein, flicking the skin to get it to show up better. "Yep... Which is good…? I was serious when I said I don't want him doing much."

"I know." Cloud nodded, flinching as the needle was thrust into his vein.

"Sorry." Marluxia mumbled. "But it had to be done. I don't want the pain to overwhelm you." Taking the needle out, the pink haired doctor gently wiped the puncture wound and bandaged it. "Sleep..." He said, brushing away Cloud's fringe from the blonde's eyes, watching frown softly as the medicine began acting. "You'll feel better in the morning."

Cloud nodded, feeling his mind start to become hazy. "Okay…." He whispered, the pain fading and leaving numb, comfortable and strangely sleepy.

Smiling, Marluxia left the room after turning the light off. "Sleep well Cloud." The pink haired man said softly, watching the man's mako, glowing eyes slowly disappear in the dark as the blond's eyelids slowly dropped.

Closing the door, Marluxia walked away: he had some work to do.

There was a blonde with three broken ribs, a broken nose and a ruptured kidney that needed his attending since he was the doctor responsible for him. It had been a while since the youth was brought to his hospital.

Grinning evilly, having been told the story by Zexion, Marluxia walked into the young man's room. "Hello Seifer! How are we doing?"

Bekas: Sorry for the late.