Leaning on You(FF7)

7

~Cloud's POV~

"Ew, Daddy's not wearing a shirt!" A high pitched voice squeals and then laughs.

"Mama's headband fell off!" Another one giggles. I groan and pull the covers up over our heads. Yuffie turns and curls into my chest.

"Thanks," she mumbles. I just pull her closer and enjoy the warmth all around us.

"Denzel! Daddy's not wearing his shirt!"

"Um... that's great? Why do I care?"

"It's gross. He has boy boobies!"

"...... Why don't we go get breakfast?"

"Okay!"

"Thank Shiva for him," I mutter and Yuffie laughs lightly, pushing back and yawning.

"Morning Cloud."

"Morning Yuffie."

"Ready to see your dad?" she wiggles her eyebrows.

"No," I reply flatly. This is going to be awful. It'll be all I can do not to punch him or draw my sword and finish him off. Why the heck is he even alive?!

"Too bad," she grins, pulling the blankets away. Cold air meets my bare skin and I shiver, pulling the covers more tightly around me.

"Nope, we're gettin up," she rips them off and I groan, watching her walk away with my warmth. I grab my clothes from yesterday and dump them in the laundry basket, going upstairs to take a shower and get dressed. Hot water rolls off my back and relaxes my tense muscles. I wish I could stay in here forever, but thirty minutes is plenty long enough. Besides, the water's getting cold. I step out of the shower, wrapping a towel around my waist and begin to brush my teeth.

Suddenly, I see a pinkish and brown blob behind me in the foggy mirror. Aeris smirks at me when I whip my head around, rolling my eyes.

"You couldn't have waited until I was wearing clothes?"

"Eh, Zack wanted to chat, but he didn't have time. Or energy, it takes a lot of energy to appear like this," she waves a hand over her body.

"Hm," I hum, looking back into the mirror. As crazy as it sounds, those two have visited me in dreams and visions or just appeared like this over the last two years. "So what did he need?"

"I heard you're visiting your dad today," she says casually, picking at her nails and crossing her legs, sitting on the edge of the bathtub.

"Yeah? And? It's by force," I shrug, spitting the minty paste out of my mouth.

"I think you should give him a chance," she looks up, the reflection of her green eyes burning into mine. I sigh and shake my head.

"Why on earth would I do that?"

"He's changed, Cloud. You might not see it right away and you might not forgive him, but he's different."

"How so?"

"I wish I could show you but I can't. Besides, some things are best learned on your own."

"That's not always true, but whatever," I shrug.

"That's why I said some things," she rolls her eyes. I raise an eyebrow at her attitude. "Sorry, the Lifestream can be a rough place to hang out in sometimes."

"I thought you lived in Hero's Haven?"

"We do. I said hang out. You deaf?"

"Sorry," I mutter, swishing mouthwash through my teeth.

"Cloud?" Yuffie knocks on the door. "What the heck are you talking to?"