Leaning on You(FF7)

1

"Up!" Michael demands, holding his arms up above his head.

"How do we ask?" I give him a stern look and trying to fight a smile. Just... Ugh! So cute!

"Please up!" I laugh and pick him up. But then, of course, his sister wants up too, so I end up carrying one kid on either side of me. Then Kara slides down out of my arms and grabs my leg as soon as we get down the stairs. I groan and then the door bell just has to ring and our stupid dog, with the classic name Max, runs straight into the door, barking his big ol' head off.

"Cloud, can you get the door?" Yuffie calls.

"Hang on!" I yell back, unlocking the door with my one free hand and swinging the door open. I accidentally hit Michael's head with it in the process.

"Sorry sorry sorry!" I mutter quickly as his bottom lip begins to tremble. Then I grab Max's collar and yank away from the pair of green pants he's sniffing.

"Got your hands full enough, Cloud?" Cid chuckles, crossing his arms.

"Just get inside before the gets out," I command, dragging him backwards. Max is the stupidest, clumsiest, and friendliest Rottweiler the world will ever meet. We only have him because Yuffie insists he'll make a good watchdog one day. And when that argument fails, she gives me the cold shoulder until I give in. Typical wife.

"Be nice, Cloud!" Yuffie scolds from the kitchen. Will she ever leave that dreaded room?

"I'm trying," I sigh under my breath and move out if the way for the stream of old friends that enters our home.

"Denzel!" Marlene squeals, hugging him. He's almost taller than me. Of course, practically every guy is... "I'm in fourth grade now!"

"Yeah?" he laughs. "I'm in ninth."

"Mar'ene!" Kara squeals and let's go of my leg, to which I give a sigh of relief and set Michael down, also releasing Max. Then I groan tiredly and throw my head back into the wall.

"Quite the pack you've got here," Cid chuckles, standing by me and watching the kids run around and say hi to everyone, Kara with bubbly excitement and Michael calmly and cautiously. "He reminds me of you."

"Who, Mikey?"

"I guess, if that's his name," he shrugs. "But yeah. He's really quiet and calm. Unlike that... thing."

"Hey," I warn playfully with a smile. "She's just special."

"Like her," he nods toward Yuffie, who crosses her arms and glares way up at Vince. He just laughs and shakes his head, Tifa by his side. They finally got engaged like six months ago and she's been extremely clingy ever since.

"She's so short compared to him," I laugh.

"So are you, shorty," he chuckles, pushing my head teasingly.

"Hey, once again, I'm fun sized."

"That boy's definitely gonna be a whole foot taller than you," Cid laughs, referring to Denzel.

"I doubt that," I shake my head. "Probably only an inch or two. Or five."

"Cloud, can you put the dog outside," Yuffie calls over the noise of chatting. Gee, it's not like we see each other all the time or anything. Note the sarcasm. We also have phones, just quick reminded to Vincent, who still can't figure out how to use his. And he's thirty. Gosh, we're getting old...

"Max!" I call the stupid animal and he stops bothering Red by trying to sniff his butt.

"Absolutely no manners," he scoffs, scratching behind one of his pierced ears.