Cloud loved festivals. The food, the games and the contests that went on during the Annual Kalm Festival never ceased to bore him. Ever since he was seven, he'd been attending this world renown event wither with family, friends or on the occasion, by himself. It was a brilliant place to meet new people and the atmosphere was amazing. Cloud loved the way the buildings and stalls were covered in bright lights and the fireworks at the end were simply spectacular. It was something that he looked forward to every year. And it was on his fifteenth visit that something different but special happened.
Cloud arrived at the first street of the festival and immediately hunted down a good food stall that would satisfy his hunger. Most of the stall owners were hollering at the top of their voices cheerfully, eager to sell their stock to potential customers. It was one particular shout that caught Cloud's attention though.
"Come on, come on! Eat our delicious kebabs! Juicy and sweet, free range meat with home-grown vegetables and homemade sauces! You'd better help me sell out our whole stock otherwise I'd be forced to eat it all and as delicious as they are, I'm on a diet!"
Cloud wandered over to this kebab stall and smiled up at the auburn haired man.
"How much?" he asked.
"Twenty-five Gil each," the man looked bored.
"I'll take three then," Cloud said as he got his wallet out.
"Thank you!" the man sighed exasperatedly "Finally, a customer!"
Cloud handed over his seventy-five Gil and watched as the man lay out three delicious looking kebabs out on the grill.
"Say, I've seen you around here before," the man said as he pointed to the blonde.
"I wouldn't be surprised," Cloud smiled sheepishly "I've come here for fifteen years now."
"Wow, really?" the man cocked an eyebrow "Doesn't it get boring?"
"No, not really," Cloud shrugged and looked around "Everyone here emits such a good mood, it's great to just come out here and relax for the night."
"Hn, I suppose," the man shrugged.
"My name's Cloud," Cloud demonstrated said good mood.
"Genesis," Genesis said half-heartedly.
"Wow, you really aren't into the spirit," Cloud frowned.
"Can you blame me?" Genesis shrugged as he turned the kebabs on the grill over "A lot of people prefer to stuff their faces with junk food and I'm left here with a thousand kebabs, ready to put on the grill and sell."
"Huh, that sucks," Cloud frowned.
"Yeah, but what can I do?" Genesis shrugged as he lifted the kebabs and handed them over to Cloud "Hope you like them."
Cloud smiled as he took the kebabs.
"Hey, maybe we could go and see the fireworks at the end?" he suggested with a shrug.
"Hn, it's possible but I wouldn't count on it with the rate of selling these things. I'll make an effort if you'd like…"
Cloud took a bite of the kebab and froze.
"Wow, these are really good!" he called, startling Genesis.
"Uh, thanks?" Genesis said, blinking at him oddly.
"And these are only twenty-five Gil each?!" Cloud shouted again, attracting other people's attention.
"Yes, you don't need to shout so loud," Genesis hushed him.
"And you said you have plenty in stock?!"
"Cloud, you can shout all you want but not here," Genesis murmured.
"Mommy, I want a kebab!"
"Hey, let's get some kebabs!"
"Kebabs are healthier than cotton candy anyway."
Genesis jumped as his stall was suddenly swarmed with potential customers and began filling the grill with orders.
"I'll see you by the edge of the forest then!"
Cloud smiled as he wandered off through the marketplace, finishing off his current three kebabs. He discarded the sticks in a bin and went down to a different street where the entertainment stalls were.
"Come on, folks, it's quite simple!" a cheerful voice chirruped "Just thirty Gil for three shots at the target to dunk my friend here and win a prize!"
"I still don't see the entertainment value to this, Zack," the man with long silver hair said as he remained perched on the seat above the tank of water, bone dry.
"Come on, Seph, people have fun seeing someone fall into a tank of clean water!" Zack grinned as Cloud made his way to the stall.
"I'll have a go," he said.
"Yay!" Zack cheered as Seph groaned.
Cloud paid thirty Gil to Zack and picked up three balls. Seph gave him a venomous glare as he lobbed his first throw. It bounced off the target and Seph smirked.
"Don't let his glare intimidate you, Spike!" Zack cheered.
"My name is Cloud and my hair is not spiky," Cloud said as he tossed his second ball up and down.
He focused on the target and threw the second ball. The target split in half and Seph was promptly dropped into the tank of water. Zack howled with laughter and hi-fived Cloud.
"Best shot ever!" he cried and looked through the shelves "I'll give you…this!"
He picked up a stuffed Chocobo and handed it over the counter as Cloud returned the third ball.
"A Chocobo?" he said.
"Yeah, cause you know…"
Zack tugged at one of Cloud's blonde spikes who glared at him.
"What's the matter? Haven't seen someone with blonde hair like mine?" he asked as he accepted the toy.
"Not as spiky as that," Zack grinned and Cloud huffed "Hey, maybe we can meet up during the fireworks? I like you already."
"Um…sure…" Cloud said and glanced at the man climbing out of the water tank.
"Oh don't worry about him, he's really a sweet little kitty," Zack smirked back at Seph as he grabbed a towel.
Instead of drying himself, Seph whipped the towel at Zack and the brunette yelped as it struck him on the ass.
"Owww!" Zack jumped and rubbed his behind sorely when Seph came up to the counter "That hurt, you know what kind of night we had yesterday!"
Cloud blushed faintly at the not so subtle hint that they were partners as Seph leaned forward.
"Hn," he hummed as he stared into his eyes "My name is Sephiroth."
Cloud jumped as he held a hand out and Sephiroth smirked.
"Relax, I'm not going to hurt you," he said and shook Cloud's hand "Seriously."
Cloud tensed as Sephiroth squeezed his hand rather tightly.
"Ah-ha, yeah…" Cloud grinned as he shook his hand out after it was squeezed.
"So, fireworks!" Zack exclaimed, shoving Sephiroth to the side "We'll close up early to meet you at the edge of the forest?"
"Ah, OK…" Cloud nodded.
"Come on, Seph!" Zack slapped a hand on Sephiroth's shoulder "Back up you go!"
Sephiroth grumbled as he threw the towel over Zack's head and climbed up to the seat over the water tank. Cloud smiled and wandered back off, tucking the Chocobo under his arm.
"Step up, step up, test your strength!" a burly man called with a sledgehammer over his shoulder "How about you, sir?"
"M-Me?" Cloud jumped as he pointed at him.
"Yes, you! Free of charge!"
Cloud yelped as he stumbled when the man handed him the sledgehammer.
"Come on, have a swing!"
Cloud blinked, nodded and lifted his arms. He didn't take notice to when his toy fell from his grip as he slammed the sledgehammer on the mark. The piece of metal flew up but didn't quite manage to meet the bell. The man sighed.
"Tough luck," he said as he reached down to pick the Chocobo up at the same time as Cloud.
Their eyes met when their hands brushed and Cloud smiled sheepishly.
"Yeah, I'm not that strong," he murmured "I suppose you can hit the bell."
The man smirked.
"I know I can," he said as he stretched his arms out "Stand back."
Cloud and the other viewers stepped back and Cloud yelped as he swung his sledgehammer down onto the mark and the metal piece whizzed up and struck the bell.
"Wow…" he murmured as the man turned with a smug look.
"Anyone else that would want to try, please donate ten Gil for the charity, Mako Poisoning Research," the man nodded to a small tin box.
Several eager participants stepped up to drop ten Gil into the box and take up the sledgehammer.
"I haven't seen you here before," Cloud said shyly.
"It's my first time," the man said.
"It's my fifteenth," Cloud grinned "My name's Cloud by the way."
"Angeal," Angeal introduced himself and shook Cloud's hand firmly "Fifteenth, huh? You must be a dedicated comer."
"It never gets boring," Cloud laughed.
"I shall come more often then," Angeal smiled decidedly.
Cloud laughed and Angeal smiled wider.
"I'm meeting up with some friends by the edge of the woods for the firework show," Angeal said "Want to join?"
"Oh geez, uh," Cloud frowned "I'm already meeting up with three guys over there…"
"No matter," Angeal waved dismissively "I'm sure it'll be fine. A nice little gathering by the forest to watch the fireworks."
"Um, OK then," Cloud smiled "Sure, why not?"
"See you then," Angeal grinned and Cloud waved goodbye.
Cloud wandered around, indulging in other stalls until the clock showed that it was quarter to midnight. He made his way out of the village and ascended the hill to the forest. He blinked in surprise when he saw Genesis already waiting for him.
"Hi," he said.
"Hn, sold out quicker than expected," Genesis smiled up at him as Cloud approached him.
Cloud bent down and yelped as Genesis grabbed him and pressed him to the tree behind him, straddling his lap.
"I like you, Cloud," he said and flicked the blushing blonde's nose "A lot."
"Uh…what?" Cloud stuttered.
"You're cute," Genesis breathed "And you were so thoughtful as to make my evening run much more smoothly."
"It's nothing, uh…" Cloud shifted awkwardly.
"You shy?" Genesis tilted his head.
"Um…no…"
"You're straight."
"Actually…not really."
"You've got a boyfriend?"
"No…"
"Then what's the matter?"
Cloud looked down with a red face and Genesis followed his gaze. He smirked.
"You are so cute."
Cloud blushed harder and Genesis pecked his lips.
"Aw, Genesis beat us to him!"
The boys looked up to see Zack tugging Sephiroth up the hill.
"Ah…" Cloud covered his face.
"My turn!"
Cloud felt Genesis being shoved off and lifted his face when someone else straddled him and cupped his cheeks.
"Ello, Spike," Zack grinned before kissing him happily.
Cloud's eyes widened and Zack pulled away with a happy grin.
"I…uh…" Cloud stared at him "But you…and him…and he just…I…uh…"
"Aw, he's so adorable!" Zack squealed and pinched Cloud's cheeks.
Zack yelped as he was pushed aside and a hand grabbed Cloud's front, pulling him up to his feet. Sephiroth's eyes were all Cloud saw before he was engaged in a passionate kiss.
"Don't think I've forgiven you, yet…" Sephiroth purred dangerously as he pulled away, leaving Cloud a blushing and stuttering mess.
"But he just! And I! Then he! And you! I'm…" Cloud looked between the three men in confusion.
"Oh and look who's late to the party as usual," Genesis tossed his hair as Angeal arrived.
"Sorry, had to give the donations to the charity stall," Angeal said as he approached Cloud "Hey, tough guy. Missed me?"
Cloud felt the soft lips touch his and the stubble brush against his cheeks. He stared up at Angeal before looking at the other boys that surrounded him.
"I'm…lost here…" he confessed.
"Well you see, Spike," Zack said as he leaned on Genesis "We like to live life to the full, which means…"
"We find it better to have a four-way relationship," Sephiroth coughed to cover Zack's 'meaning'.
"We all think you're the most adorable little blonde we've ever seen," Genesis elaborated.
"What we're asking is whether you'd like to make a five-way relationship?" Angeal shrugged.
Cloud looked from Genesis to Zack to Sephiroth then finally to Angeal.
"Are you being serious?" he asked.
"It would reduce the temptation to stray to other partners," Sephiroth said.
"Exactly, so it should work out fine commitment wise," Zack shrugged.
"We do have our ups and downs when living together," Angeal sighed softly.
"And I know this sounds sappy, but we always get along because of our love for each other," Genesis groaned softly.
"Plus it would be great that I'm not the only one who bottoms all the time," Zack grinned.
"What makes you think I'm an uke?" Cloud frowned.
There was a whip and a yelp. Sephiroth smirked as he stroked his towel fondly.
"I should use this more often," he said as Genesis gazed at him in wonder.
"Please do," he pouted pleadingly.
Cloud grumbled as he rubbed his rump tenderly.
"OK, so I have a small ass, I can totally top."
"Aw, they're always so cute when they say that," Zack cooed.
"How would you know?" Genesis, Sephiroth and Angeal raised an eyebrow.
Zack whined and pouted. Cloud looked at all of them again.
"I don't know, won't it be weird?" he asked.
"Give it a trial run," Angeal suggested "See how it is after a few dates then you can move in with us if you like it."
Cloud hummed thoughtfully as Zack crept up and hugged him from behind.
"Please?" he pouted the Infamous Zack Unfair Puppy Pout.
Cloud took one look at that pout and immediately surrendered.
"Great then let's get a decent view!" Zack said happily as he picked the blonde and his Chocobo up and dashed over to the hillside that faced the village.
The other three men followed and sat around them as Zack placed Cloud on his lap, playing with his spiky hair fondly. Cloud just smiled and discretely elbowed Zack when he called him a cute little Chocobo. The sky lit up with colours such as blue, purple, red and green when the clock struck midnight. As the colours lit up Cloud's face, he couldn't help but smile happily. He especially loved festivals now. I mean come on, who wouldn't after obtaining not one, not two, not three but four boyfriends?