Work Text:
‘The Kool Kids Club’ group chat (Trademarked by Zack Fair)
Cloud: Sup’ guys. Ready for the party tomorrow?
Tifa: I am!! Whipped up a fresh batch of cookies, and I’m positive it’s my greatest work! Can’t wait for you guys to try them!
Cloud: Please tell me you got caramel-filled cookies in there
Tifa: You betcha!!
Cloud: Yes! You’re the best Teef
Tifa: Anything for my friends!
Aerith: Hi guys!! I’m so ready to par-tay!! I’m coming over to sample the goods, Tifa!
Tifa: Oh no you don’t! Last time that happened you ate every single one of them!
Aerith: GASP! How dare you accuse me of such a damning criminal offence, Tifa! I merely took an innocent bite out of each one! Gotta’ make sure that they are all perfect!
Cloud: I was there, Aerith. You ate them all
Aerith: Shut up, you
Tifa: BAHAHAHA. Alright Aerith, you can come over and try them. Just promise not to eat them all, yeah?
Aerith: Pinky promise!
Tifa: You said that last time!
Aerith: But this time I mean it!!
Zack: Haha don’t worry, Tifa! I’ll make sure my girl keeps her appetite under control
Aerith: Ex-cuuuse me! I ain’t nobody’s girl!
Zack: That’s not what you said to me last night. WINK-WINK NUDGE-NUDGE!
Tifa: Eww!!
Cloud: Really dude?
Zack: It was more of a scream, actually
Aerith: Zack Fair!! When I get home, you’re gonna be in serious trouble!
Zack: Ooo, now I’m excited
Aerith: ZACK!!!
Zack: Hahaha okay I’m sorry. Anyway, I can’t wait for tomorrow, guys! I’m bringin’ my special eggnog!
Tifa: Oh no
Zack: Haha you love it Tifa, don’t deny it. It’s got everything you love. Cream, vanilla, cinnamon, and a good ol’ helping of the ‘good stuff’ hehehe
Tifa: That ‘good stuff’ gave me the worst hangover!
Zack: But you had a daaamn good night if I recall
Tifa: A night that I can’t remember all that well!
Aerith: Ohhh you were on fire that night, Teef’. I wanna see it again! Bring on the eggnog, hon’!
Zack: YES BABE!
Tifa: You two are the worst!! Cloud, help me out here!
Cloud: Zack does make really good eggnog.
Tifa: Cloud!!
Cloud: It’ll be fine, Teef’. You can bring the eggnog, Zack. So long as you don’t gaslight Tifa into drinking too much.
Zack: WHAT?!
Tifa: Oh yeah that’s right! I remember now! You pushed me into getting drunk, Zack!
Zack: No, I didn’t! I just gently encouraged you.
Cloud: “If you don’t drink Tifa I’m kicking you out of the Kool Kids Club!” doesn’t scream gentle encouragement, Zack.
Zack: I did not say that!
Tifa: Yes, you did!
Zack: Nuh-uh!
Tifa: Yuh-huh!
Zack: Nuh-uh!!
Tifa: Yuh-huh!!
Zack: Babe I need your assistance! I’m being ganged up here.
Aerith: you did say those exact words, Zack.
Zack: HONEY!!
Tifa: We got you now, Zack!
Cloud: Haha. In all seriousness, I’m glad you guys can make it. I’ll make sure to have everything set up.
Tifa: You got the board games?
Cloud: Yup
Aerith: You got the playlist I sent you?
Cloud: Yup
Zack: You have that ukulele ready, my friend?
Cloud: I’m not letting you sing again
Zack: Huh? Why nooot?!
Cloud: Last time you did, you almost got last year’s party shut down
Zack: That’s because your neighbours hate fun!
Cloud: Zack you were practically screaming an off-key rendition of “Santa Claus is coming to town” on the balcony for the whole world to hear, with voice cracks included.
Tifa: Hahahaha the voice cracks had me dying!
Zack: Oh whatever! I’m a damn good singer, Cloud! Tell him, babe!
Aerith: You have the voice of an angel, sweetie.
Zack: HELL YEAH!
Cloud: Damn it, Aerith
Aerith: hehehe
Tifa: Hahaha. Tomorrow night is gonna be fun, huh?
Aerith: It’s gonna be the greatest party ever!!
Zack: Damn right!!
Cloud: Agreed. Anyway, I gotta’ run guys. See y’all at my place tomorrow.
Tifa: Cya’ soon, Cloud!!
Aerith: We're gonna have a motherf-ing blast!!
Zack: LET’S GOOOO!!!! Eggnog all around!!
Tifa: Zack!!
…
Standing in his apartment's living room, Cloud was adding the finishing touches to his Christmas tree.
Traditionally, Tifa would be the one hosting, inviting Cloud and the rest of the gang over to her place on the eve of Christmas. For this year, Cloud held that honour, and it would be his first time, too.
His guests would be arriving in the next few minutes, and that very thought stoked the anticipation that flared in his head. He was thrilled to spend the night with his friends. He was excited to celebrate one of the best times of the year. But most of all, he was incredibly nervous.
“What if I screw up?”
Knots of anxiety began to twist in his stomach as he envisioned a worst-case scenario—Aerith’s brimming enthusiasm faltering into sheer boredom, Zack’s hyper energy falling into tired yawns, and Tifa forcing a smile of encouragement, hiding her obvious displeasure.
“I shouldn’t have put my hand up for this,” he sighed out loud, bowing his head while running a hand through his thick, blonde hair.
After a weighted air of silence, Cloud shook his head frantically, looking back up with determined eyes. “No. Fuck that noise. I got this.”
With what little time he had to spare, Cloud raced through his apartment, triple-checking everything to ensure that every detail was spot on—the roast pork sizzling in the oven, the steaming pot of vegetables and gravy on the stove, his up and running Bluetooth speaker, his collection of board games sitting on the shelf, and every bauble, tinsel and light decorating his Christmas tree.
In his haste, Cloud screeched to a halt once he heard the doorbell echo. Straightening his clothes, he paced towards the front door and forced out a smile as he pulled it open.
Tifa was the first one to arrive. Cradling her neatly wrapped gifts and a glass container of cookies in her arms—Cloud could practically smell the baked sweets—, her eyes lit up cheerfully when they fell on her blonde friend. “Heya’, Cloud!”
“Hey, Teef’,” he replied, his tone coming out livelier than he expected. Instinctively, his smile grew bigger, shedding its earlier mask of façade, as if her glowing energy was permeating onto him.
It was a natural talent she had—invigorating people with her kind, warm presence. Cloud surmised that notion the second they met as kids, and collected a ton of evidence to support his theory as their friendship blossomed over the years.
Tifa had a knack for making his day shine brighter, no matter how bad it was, and he would forever be grateful for her.
He stepped aside to let her in, taking the presents off her hands. While she placed her container of cookies on the table by the kitchen area, Cloud dropped off her gifts underneath the Christmas tree. Once he met up with her in the kitchen, Tifa wrapped her arms around his shoulders.
“Merry Christmas, Cloud!” she cheered.
With a light chuckle, Cloud wound his arms around her waist. “Merry Christmas.”
After they pulled apart, Tifa immediately pointed at the top he was wearing, smiling with glee. “Hey! You’re wearing the Christmas sweater I got you!”
Cloud looked down at his fluffy red sweater— the jolly face of Santa on the front of it—and groaned dramatically. “With great disdain.”
“Oh, shut up,” Tifa admonished, lightly slapping his shoulder. “You’re rockin’ it!”
Cloud shook his head, smirking as he laughed with her. He took a moment to appraise the sweater she was wearing. It had a white and red striped colour scheme, with white outlines of reindeer imprinted along the red stripes. It was just as ugly as his, if Cloud had to be honest, but even so he thought that Tifa looked stunning.
Cloud was certain that it had less to do with the sweater itself, and more to do with her natural beauty. Another quality of hers that he admired, and often teased her about.
“Not as much as you, Teef’,” he said with an effortless shrug. “Ever thought about modelling?”
“You flirting with me, Strife?” she replied with a playful smirk, catching onto his games in a heartbeat.
Cloud rolled his eyes, snorting at the way she folded her arms and posed with sass and flair. “Keep dreaming, Lockhart.”
With a light shove, Tifa pushed Cloud away as she laughed. They continued chatting away, catching each other up on their lives, until they heard the doorbell ring again. Cloud crossed over to the front door, with Tifa following behind, and pulled it open, smiling at the sight of Aerith and Zack’s happy faces.
“Merry Christmas!!” The duo greeted in unison, jumping up and down with joy.
Cloud chuckled at their antics. “Merry Christmas, guys.”
“Aerith! Zack!” Tifa exclaimed, her face glowing in delight. “Merry Christmas!!”
Tifa and Cloud stepped aside to make room for the buzzing couple. Aerith skipped inside, carrying a container of hors d'oeuvres, and atop it a small bag of candy canes. Zack strode in with a large Santa sack slung over his shoulder, filled with presents, and a shopping back full of party snacks cradled in his free arm. Cloud offered to help him, but the taller man politely shot him down.
“These big, strong muscles aren’t just for show, Cloud! Gotta put them to use, y’know?”
“Uh-huh,” Cloud said, shaking his head with a smirk.
As Zack started unpacking his gifts by the Christmas tree, Aerith joined up with Cloud and Tifa in the living room, after dropping off her food next to Tifa’s cookies.
“I’ve missed you so much, Tifa!” Aerith squealed as she hugged her.
“You saw me yesterday, Aerith,” Tifa giggled, returning the hug in kind.
“But that was twenty-four hours ago, Teef’! That’s like, twenty-four hours too long!”
“Hell of a mathematician, Aerith,” Cloud mocked in jest.
Letting go of Tifa, Aerith turned to Cloud and smirked at him mischievously. “Well, well, well. If it isn’t grumpy Mcgrumpster,” she said wittingly, planting her fists on her hips.
“I’m not grumpy,” he replied staunchly.
Her smile growing, Aerith stepped closer and lightly ruffled Cloud’s thick, spiky-blond hair. “Are you sure?”
Cloud kept his composure, darting his eyes away from her while summoning all his willpower to hide his annoyance. “I’m sure.”
“Arrreee yooouuu suuurrreee???” Aerith repeated, ruffling his hair a second time, much longer and more aggressively.
A good three seconds later, Cloud swatted Aerith’s hand away with a grunt of protest. “Quit it,” he complained boyishly.
Cackling loudly, Aerith threw her arms over Cloud’s shoulders and pulled him close. “I missed you too, Cloud. Surely you missed me too, hmm?”
Unable to mask his smile, Cloud softly returned her hug. “A little.”
Much like Tifa, Aerith exuded a vibrant energy, lighting up the world with her plucky attitude, dazzling smile, and optimistic outlook on life. She’d often poke fun Cloud’s serious demeanour, jabbing him incessantly for being a “grumpy ol’ geezer”. Despite finding her unrelenting feistiness annoying at times, Cloud was deeply fond of Aerith. She was always fun to be around, and while he did not always agree with her perspective—Cloud was more of a realist—, her unwavering positive was an inspiration to behold.
After offloading all of his things, Zack met up with the trio, and swept Tifa off her feet in a big jolly hug. “And how’s little miss badass been doin’?” he asked merrily.
Tifa laughed as she got spun around in the air. “I’ve been great, Zack!”
Eventually, Zack let her down, winking at her with a charming smile. He then turned to Cloud, and his expression slowly shifted to one of mocked-pain. “And you! I’ve been here for thirty whole seconds, and not once did you think about giving your best friend in the whole wide world a hug?!”
Before Cloud could say anything, Zack stormed over to him with his arms spread out. “C’mere, you!”
Entrapping Cloud, Zack muscled his blonde friend up high and squeezed tightly. “I missed you, my man!”
“Zack…my lungs…,” Cloud rasped out.
The taller man unleashed a hearty laugh, ignoring Cloud’s plea as he shook him back and forth. Eventually, he set the shorter man down, grinning at him from ear to ear as he watched him hunch over and gasp for air.
Similar to Aerith and Tifa, Zack beamed with upbeat enthusiasm, but he had this magnetic aura to him. Cloud likened it to a comic book superhero—inspiring men and women with his undeniable charisma and charm. When they first met, Cloud didn’t think they would get along—he mostly kept to himself while Zack was a social butterfly—, but a minute or two into their conversation, the two of them hit it off immediately, their opposite natures bouncing off so effortlessly, and became close friends ever since.
Tifa giggled as she rubbed Cloud’s back. “I think you gave him more pain than love, Zack.”
“What?!” Zack bellowed. “Aw, my bad, Cloud. Let me fix you up.”
In the corner of his eyes, Cloud noticed Zack approaching him again. In an instant, Cloud straightened back up, acting like he just made a spontaneous recovery. “No need, Zack. I’m all better,” he assured, hiding his pain.
Flashing him a toothy grin, Zack rubbed his hands together as he bounced with excitement. “Are you guys freakin’ ready?? We’re gonna party like there’s no tomorrow!”
“Umm, excuse me?” Aerith spoke up, staring up at Zack with accusatory eyes and pouty lips. “Where’s my hug??”
Zack turned to Aerith with a smouldering look. “Come here, my little angel.”
The twosome embraced, sighing hopelessly the second they snuggled up together.
“I’m assuming this is the fiftieth time you guys hugged today?” Tifa joked.
“Fifty-sixth time, actually,” Aerith corrected, sticking her tongue out at Tifa.
All of a sudden, Zack jerked his head up, his eyes wandering around the ceiling as he inhaled through his nostrils. “Hold up…is that…” he whipped around to the blonde. “Cloud. Please tell me that’s crispy roast pork.”
Cloud nodded his head. “It is.”
Closing his eyes and mouthing a silent “Yes!”, Zack pulled away from Aerith, ignoring her bummed out “heeey”, and bowed down to Cloud in repeated fashion. “You are my saviour.”
“I think he likes you, Cloud,” Tifa whispered to him with a smirk.
Cloud rolled his eyes with a groan. “At least he’s not hugging me.”
“Hey Tifa!” Aerith beamed suddenly as she clapped her hands together. “Can we have some of your cookies now?”
Tifa laughed while shaking her head. “Not yet, Aerith. Let’s wait till dessert.”
“Aww c’mooon!” Aerith complained childishly.
“Wait a sec,” Zack piped up, jumping back to his feet. “You made us cookies, Tifa?”
“Uh, yeah? Didn’t you see my messa—”
With the speed of a tiger, Zack zipped towards the kitchen, making a beeline for the sought-after sweets. At a slower pace, Aerith skipped behind him while humming innocently.
“Oh no you don’t!” Tifa exclaimed, sprinting after the duo.
Leaning against his couch, Cloud folded his arms and chuckled warmly as he observed the chaos from afar, and laughed out loud once he realised that Zack and Aerith were wearing matching Christmas-themed onesies. The former was locked in a fierce tug of war with Tifa over the cookies, while Aerith stood behind him and cheered her boyfriend on.
As Cloud stood there, absorbing their brimming energy, all of that built-up nervousness in his body slowly withered away, and in its place, an eager jolt of electricity surged through his veins.
“Why the hell was I nervous this whole time? I’m spending Christmas with my best friends. It’s gonna be a blast!”
“I get first dibs!” Cloud exclaimed as he joined his friends.
…
His eyes fluttering shut, Zack released a breathy sigh of approval as he chewed on the tender roast pork, the crunching sound of its crispy skin resounding in the air. “Cloud. You have made the best roast pork I’ve ever had.”
Cloud shook his head with a smile, barely understanding what Zack said through his pork-filled mouth. “Bought it from the butcher, myself.”
Tifa and Aerith chuckled as they helped themselves to much smaller and respectful helpings of food. Zack loaded up his fork with another gigantic chunk of gravy-coated once he swallowed the contents in his mouth. “I stand corrected, then. You bought the best roast pork I’ve ever had.”
“That makes more sense, now that I think about it,” Tifa stated, a knowing smirk creeping up on her face. “The way this meat was prepared far exceeds Cloud’s culinary skills. I should know.”
“Hey, I resent that,” Cloud objected. “I’m a decent cook.”
“Bit of a stretch dontcha’ think, Strife?” Tifa replied wittingly.
“You liked the waffles I made you recently, though.”
“Waffles are hard to screw up, Cloud.”
“What about that rib-eye steak?”
“It took you ten tries to make a halfway decent one.”
“Practice makes perfect, Tifa!”
“Something that you desperately need more of, compared to others…”
“Did you just imply that I’m…”
Tifa bit her bottom lip, holding back her laughter as she gulped down a mouthful of eggnog.
Refusing to back down from her, Cloud leaned back casually into his chair. “Well…maybe I’d be a much better cook if I had a good teacher…”
Tifa’s reaction was instant, spluttering and coughing hard as she practically choked on her beverage. Beating on her chest to clear her throat, she spun her head to the young blonde and eyed him with a dangerous look. “What did you just say?”
Cloud looked her dead in the eye, willing himself to not break into laughter over the comically baffled expression on her face. “You heard me.”
Her crimson eyes blazing and her eyebrows drawing together, Tifa pointed her fork at Cloud. “You take that back, mister,” she threateningly, her voice low.
Recognising the scrunched-up nose that undermined her menacing expression—Cloud knew her all too well at this point—he leaned in close, smirking back at her. “Or else what?”
They were close enough to each other that Cloud could easily pick up the fact that Tifa was struggling to hold her snarl, threatening to collapse into a smile. He bit his tongue, fighting hard to suppress his building laughter.
“Ooo are you guys gonna have a sexy fight!!” Aerith blurted out.
“Aerith!” Cloud and Tifa shouted in unison, spinning their heads towards Aerith with glaring faces
“What??” Aerith asked innocently, holding her hands up by her shoulders as she shrugged. “I’m just sayin’. It’s Christmas. Put on a show!”
Tifa pointed her knife at Aerith. “You eat your vegetables, Gainsborough.”
“Yes, mom,” Aerith replied cheekily.
“And don’t call me that, missy,” Tifa demanded, biting her lip from chuckling.
“Okay…mother,” Aerith chimed with a smile.
Tifa shook her head, her laughter breaking free. “Smarty-pants.”
“What’s with the snarky attitude all of a sudden, Teef’?” Cloud asked curiously
“It’s not me,” Tifa implored, gesturing to her glass as she picked it up. “It’s the eggnog.”
“I thought you weren’t gonna have any tonight.”
“It’s Christmas time, Cloud. Try as I might, I can’t say no to eggnog on such a fine occasion.”
“…how many drinks have you had?”
“Not that many. Four.”
“Four?!”
“Zack mixed light rum with it. It’s not strong. I’ll be alright.”
With a worried sigh, Cloud ran a hand over his face. Sitting opposite Tifa, Zack gave a round of applause to his daring friend. “Bravo, Teef’. I didn’t even have to push you into drinking, either.”
“Shut up and eat your pork, Zack,” Tifa ordered with a frisky smirk.
“Yes, Ma’am!” Zack replied, saluting theatrically.
Soon, the playful banter settled down into lighter chit-chat as the four friends helped themselves to more food. When it was time for dessert, Cloud, Aerith, and Zack dove their hands into Tifa’s container of cookies, snatching as many baked sweets as they could find. The trio took one big bite of their cookie, and in stereo, they all sunk back into their chairs, moaning in pure delight.
“Oh my god, Tifa,” Aerith sang as her eyes fluttered shut, slowly chewing on her red velvet-flavoured cookie. “This is the best cookie I’ve ever had.”
Tifa giggled at her friend’s whimsical reaction. “Thank you, Aerith.”
“I second that notion, Teef’,” Zack said as he popped the rest of his double-chocolate-flavoured sweet into his mouth. “It’s even better than sex.”
“Zack!” Tifa admonished.
“Heeey!!” Aerith shouted, shooting Zack a withering glare.
Zack’s cheeks lit up redder than Rudolph’s nose. “Uhh, I mean it’s just as good as sex!”
Aerith folded her arms with a pout. “Pooey.”
“I didn’t mean it, my sweet, lovely angel from the stars.” Zack apologised, putting forth the most convincing smoulder and Prince charming-like voice he could muster.
In the corner of Aerith’s mouth, a little smile peeked out. “…keep going,” she ordered.
Smiling at the duo, Tifa turned to Cloud, and her hand flew over her mouth to stifle a laugh when she noticed the closed-eyed dreamy expression on Cloud's face, and the drip of caramel oozing out the corner of his lips. “Well, what do you think?” she asked.
Another moan escaped his lips as he slowly devoured his chewy caramel-filled cookie. Opening his eyes, he turned towards her with a dopey smile. “It’s perfect, Tifa. I take back everything I just said about you.”
Tifa giggled as she lightly patted him on the shoulder. “Good boy.”
Suddenly, the tune of “Jingle Bell Rock” began to play from Cloud’s Bluetooth speaker—which started playing Aerith’s playlist right before they settle down for dinner. Aerith’s face sparkled with glee as she jumped up to her feet.
“I love this song!” she squealed. She turned to Zack and stuck her hand out to him. “Let’s dance, my love!”
Throwing her a heart-stopping smile, Zack took her hand as he rose to his feet. “It would be my honour, dear angel.”
With a lovestruck giggle, Aerith led her boyfriend to the living room, and the twosome started swaying together to the wondrous tune.
Cloud watched them with a smile as he wolfed down another cookie. As a minute passed, his attention was pulled away from them when he felt Tifa tapping him on the shoulder.
With a hearty smile, Tifa stood up and offered Cloud her hand. “Let’s dance with them!”
Scoffing at the notion, Cloud shook his head profusely. “Nah, I'm good. You know I don’t dance, Teef’”
“Aaawww,” Tifa said mockingly. “Are you a chicken?”
“No,” he replied bluntly. “I just don’t dance.”
Slowly, an impish grin formed on Tifa’s lips, and shortly after, she started making chicken noises, flapping her arms as if they were wings.
Cloud darted his eyes away from her, keeping his expression neutral. “That’s not gonna work.”
His remark only encouraged Tifa, and the teasing girl amplified her antics by eleven.
A good ten seconds later, Cloud shot to his feet hastily. “Alright, fine!”
With a happy giggle., Tifa enclosed her hand around his wrist. “Let’s dance, mister!”
…
Cloud blew the loose lock of hair drooping down his forehead away from his eyes. “Y’know, when you said that you wanted to loosen up, Aerith, I didn’t think you were being…literal.”
Aerith turned her head—which was currently upside down—and glared at Cloud with puffed-up, rosy cheeks. “Hey! I’m the honoured guest, Cloud, so I get the first pick on what to play!”
“You’re not the only guest.”
“Not the point!”
When it was time for board games, Aerith picked the game that Cloud least expected: Twister. The two of them were midway through the game, and Cloud was down on all fours in a bear-walk pose, while Aerith was upside down in a bridging pose, humming away without any signs of struggle.
Aerith noticed how Cloud was visibly shaking. “You’re struggling already, Cloud? We barely even started!” she taunted.
“This is harder than it looks, Aerith,” he grunted.
“Oh please. Bear-walks are eeeeasyyy!” She said confidently, rocking back and forth from her bridge. “Especially for a yoga queen like moi!”
“Yoga’s for wimps,” Cloud goaded under his breath.
“I heard that, Mcgrumpster!!” Aerith shouted, nudging Cloud with a kick.
“Hey!” he yelled back, frowning at his feisty friend when she stuck her tongue out at him. He turned to Zack—who was watching them on the side lines with Tifa—and raised an eyebrow at him. “Is she always like this?”
“Yeah,” the taller man replied dreamily, staring at Aerith with a smitten expression.
“I love you, honey-bun!” Aerith sung glowingly.
“I love you too, honey bunny,” Zack sang back, blowing her a kiss.
“Kill me now,” Cloud groaned.
Laughing at the trio, Tifa spun the arrow on the spinner and watched it intently as it slowed down. “Alright, Cloud. Right foot, red.”
Cloud roamed his eyes around the spotted mat and sighed in annoyance once he realised the closest available spot was far across from him, towards his upper right side, with Aerith was blocking his path.
“Great. Namaste Nancy is in the way,” he mocked.
“How about I namaste my foot up your ass!” she shot back.
“Tell him, Aerith!” Zack cheered.
Cloud threw Zack a threatening glare, shutting the taller man right up. The shorter blonde turned back to the red spot and carefully stretched his right leg out to it, the tip of his tongue poking out the corner of his mouth in concentration. Luckily for him, he had enough space to extend his leg underneath Aerith’s arched back, and just enough reach to touch the mark. Reaching his destination, he planted the base of his foot on it and released a sigh of relief, but that respite vanished a second later once he realised that he ended up in the side plits, his arms holding his butt up from touching the mat. He winced in pain, feeling an uncomfortable stretch near his…pelvic region.
“Lookin’ sexy, Cloud,” Tifa teased, laughing when the blonde frowned at her. She spun the wheel again and called out Aerith’s next. “Aerith: right foot, blue.”
Without any struggle, Aerith lifted her leg off the mat and swung it through the air in a circular motion, the rest of her body following it effortlessly.
“Oi, watch it,” Cloud said as he ducked his head away from Aerith’s incoming leg.
“You watch it,” she bit back.
With grace and form, Aerith landed her right foot perfectly on the blue mark, shifting from a backward bridge to a downward dog pose. Unfortunately for Cloud, her change in position resulted in her derriere ending up right beside Cloud’s face.
“Don’t try anything, McGrumpster.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.”
Tifa tiptoed up to Zack with a smile. “They are getting a little too comfortable, aren’t they,” she teased out loud.
“I know. I’m getting a little jealous actually,” Zack replied even louder.
“Shut up!” Cloud and Aerith yelled in unison, making Tifa and Zack double over in laughter.
Tifa spun the wheel again and called for Cloud to move his right hand to another red spot. The blonde looked around and found that the closest mark was right behind him.
“Tifa, if I take my hand away, I’m gonna fall. Can you redo the spin?” he stated.
“That’s against the rules, Cloud,” she said amusingly.
“Yeah, Cloud! Are you really gonna resort to cheating just to beat a giiiirl?” Aerith mocked.
“Hell no,” he hissed glaring back at her.
Taking a few deep breaths, Cloud threw caution to the wind and pulled his right hand away with lightning speed, hoping that he generated enough momentum land on the red mark and catch himself on the way down. Unfortunately, he lost all his base the millisecond his hand left the mat, and the poor blonde tumbled backwards with a cursed grunt.
“I won!!” Aerith screamed triumphantly. She leapt to her feet and sprinted towards Zack, jumping into his arms and singing loudly along with his boisterous cheers.
Tifa stepped over to Cloud and kneeled, smiling at him as she offered a hand. “Has your pride been ruined?”
Taking her hand, Cloud stood back up, hissing through his teeth as he massaged his inner thigh. “Twister is stupid.”
She giggled at her friend’s deadpan verdict, before spinning around to Aerith. “It’s my turn now, Aerith,” she called out. “I’m so gonna win this one!”
Aerith pulled away from Zack’s arms and threw Tifa a challenging stare. “We’ll see about that Lockhart!”
As Aerith skipped towards the mat, she stopped next to Cloud and smiled at him brightly, offering him a fist bump. “In all seriousness, good game Cloud!”
Smiling back at her, Cloud bumped his fist with hers. “Good game, Aerith. Maybe yoga’s not so bad.”
“You’re damn right, son!” Aerith exclaimed, punching her fist in the air.
While she and Tifa set themselves up by the spotted mat, Cloud hobbled over to Zack, releasing a pained “ow” with every step he took. Once he joined his taller friend, Cloud quirked an eyebrow when he noticed Zack looking at two lively ladies rather…oddly.
“What’s with the weird smile?” Cloud asked.
Zack turned to his shorter friend, grinning with excitement. “You kiddin’ me, dude? Two hot chicks are about to get tangled up together! How could you not be smiling?”
Cloud shoved Zack with a hand, ignoring his over-the-top “heeey!” as he shuffled over to the kitchen. “I’m getting another cookie.”
…
Swirling the creamy liquid around his mouth, the sweetness of it gliding over his tongue, Cloud gulped down the eggnog, smacking his lips with a satisfied “Ahh.”
“Goddamn, Zack. Gotta admit, this shit is real good."
A look of pride grew on the taller man’s face. “Fuck yeah, it is! Lemme pour another one for ya’!”
“I want some too, please!” Aerith sang,
“Me three!” Tifa said, giggling as she stumbled over.
Cloud looked at her concerningly. “Maybe you should dial it down, Tifa.”
“Nahhh,” she waved off, her speech slurring just a bit. “Another drink or two won’t kill me, Cloudy.”
“The fact that you called me “Cloudy” suggests otherwise.”
“Oh relax, man,” Tifa implored, propping on Cloud’s shoulder to lean on him whilst throwing him a lopsided smile. “I’ll be—hiccup—fine!”
“I don’t know…” Cloud aired with caution.
“You heard the lady! She’ll be fine!” Zack said confidently. “Now gimme your glasses, peeps!”
Tifa and Aerith offered up their glasses. Cloud looked back and forth at them, hesitant on whether to play along. Eventually, he shrugged lightly—thinking “It’s Christmas. Why not?”— and brought his glass forward.
“Booyah!” Zack shouted as he served them another round. “Let’s chug this one down! Bottom’s up!”
“Bottom’s up!” Tifa and Aerith sang together.
With a tentative sigh, Cloud raised his glass. “Here we go.”
The foursome chugged down their drinks in one go, and then followed up with another.
Then a third.
And then a fourth.
And a couple more for good luck.
Cloud stumbled back, closing his eyes for a moment as he adjusted to the pleasant buzzing in his head. Soon after, his muscles began to tingle all over, and every inhibition he had suddenly vanished.
In other words, any notions of giving a shit have been thrown out the proverbial window.
“You good, Cloud?” Zack asked, stepping over to his blonde friend once he noticed him swaying on his feet.
Jutting his chin upwards, Cloud smiled at Zack unabashedly and slapped him on the shoulder. “Good? I’m fuckin’ great, dude!”
Zack beamed with pride, like a father proud of his son. “My man!”
“I wanna dance again!” Aerith declared
“Me—hiccup—too!” Tifa exclaimed. “Crank up the volume!”
Skipping over to the Bluetooth speaker, Aerith adjusted the volume to full blast and started singing and dancing around the living room without shame. Tifa joined the young lady, laughing wholeheartedly as they joined hands and bounced around in glee.
Bursting with joy, Zack grabbed Cloud by the shoulders and looked him in the eyes. “Cloud. Can I play your Eukelele?”
With a dopey grin, Cloud planted his hands on Zack’s shoulders. “Brother, fuckin’ go for it!”
With a jubilant “Fuck yeah!”, Zack dashed out of sight and returned in a flash with the prized instrument in hand. He strode over to the girls, strumming the Eukelele with no technique whatsoever while singing at the top of his lungs. Energised by their contagious spirits, Cloud joined the trio, dancing and singing like there was no tomorrow.
The foursome went through the entire playlist, spinning and twirling with no coordination and singing horribly offkey, getting almost all the lyrics completely wrong. At some point, an upbeat RnB-style Christmas song began to play, psyching everyone up to do breakdancing moves all over the apartment.
“Go Tifa! Go Tifa! Go Tifa!” Cloud, Zack and Aerith cheered as the woman in question did the worm along the floor, ending the sequence with a beautiful kip up.
“I wanna try that!” Aerith squealed confidently, but as she lowered down to all fours, the poor girl flopped right on her stomach as soon as she kicked her legs out, landing on the floor with a big “oof!”
“My beautiful angel!” Zack exclaimed worryingly, helping Aerith back to her feet and gazing at her with loving eyes. “Are you okay!”
Enamoured by the concerned yet deep town of his voice, Aerith batted her eyelashes at him with a lovestruck smile. “My hero.”
“C’mon Zack! It’s your turn!” Tifa yelled encouragingly as she spun around on her feet.
Planting a soft, loving kiss on Aerith’s forehead, Zack took a few steps to give himself some space, and executed a picture-perfect front flip.
“Fuck yeah!” Tifa shouted, punching her fists in the air.
“Oh my…” Aerith said adoringly, gazing at Zack like he was the only man that existed in the universe.
“Alright Cloud. Your turn!” Zack declared.
Cloud let out a jolly laugh, “But I’m drunk!”
“So are we!” Zack countered. “Just believe in yourself dude, and do something cool!”
Cloud looked around—his confidence growing at the hopeful look on his friend’s faces—and nodded emphatically. With all notions of fear gone out the window, he took a step back and performed an unbelievable backflip. Cloud sailed through the air, hovering off the ground for an ungodly amount of time, and made a perfect landing superhero-style.
“You’re the man, Cloud!” Tifa exclaimed.
“Woo-hoo!” Aerith cheered along.
“Let’s fucking GOOOO!!!” Zack bellowed.
Rising back to his feet, Cloud gave each of his friends a bow and resumed his untamed dancing and singing.
The foursome kept up their efforts as the playlist went on, and once they reached the final song, everyone’s ears perked up.
“Oh no,” Cloud dreaded.
“Oh yeah,” his friends countered eagerly.
Jamming on the Eukelele, Zack harmonised his voice with the singer. “All I want for Christmas, is…”
A glass-shattering voice crack erupted from his mouth, sending Cloud, Tifa and Aerith into uncontrollable fits of laughter.
And with a toothy smile, Zack pointed right at Cloud as he finished the lyric. “…yooooouuuu.”
As the music built up to the first verse, Zack started jumping up and down. “Let’s go, people!!”
Altogether, the foursome started singing along with the famous song, somehow getting the lyrics right but still singing wildly offkey, and dialling up their energetic movements to eleven whenever the chorus came through, switching between a solo dance sequence and twirling around together. When they reached the end of the song, Cloud and Zack sang the final verse to each other, their faces brimming with joy.
“All I want for Christmas is you, baby!!”
Suddenly, just as they were about to finish the song, a loud banging noise echoed from the front door.
“Hey! Open up!” they heard someone shout from outside.
And all at once, the four friends dart their heads towards the entrance, their faces dropping in horror.
“Uh-oh,” Tifa said.
“Spaghetti-O,” Aerith chimed.
“We’ve been had,” Cloud groaned.
“I got this covered,” Zack declared.
With sheer confidence, Zack threw the Eukelele onto the couch and started peeling off the top of his onesie.
“What the hell are you doing?!” Cloud shouted, completely befuddled.
Ignoring his question, Zack strode towards his blonde friend while pointing at his sweater. “Take it off.”
“Wha—”
Interrupting him quickly, Zack stopped in front of Cloud, grabbed the hem of his sweater, and pulled it off in one motion.
“Zack what the fuck?!” the blonde yelled, backing away from his taller friend.
“That lady’s still your neighbour, right?” Zack asked.
“Uh…yeah?”
“Then trust me.”
Cloud stared at his taller friend, confused as he watched him gesture to the T-shirt that he was wearing. As he looked down towards Zack’s exposed chest, the realisation hit him a short moment later.
“This is a horrible idea,” Cloud said as he started taking his shirt off.
Zack patted his friend on the shoulder, smiling reassuringly. “Don’t worry, dude. We got this.”
The duo marched over to the front door. Enclosing his hand over the doorknob, Zack pulled it open and leaned on the doorframe, gazing at the middle-aged woman standing before them with a charming smile.
“Now listen here you—” the woman started, stopping instantly once the vision of Zack’s Greek God-like body graced her eyes. “…oh.”
The neighbour turned to Cloud, remaining entranced as she peered all over Cloud’s smaller-framed, yet supremely chiseled chest and stomach. “…wow.”
Zack cleared his throat, pulling the woman’s attention back to him. “Excuse me, miss,” he said, his bewitching smile unwavering. “Can we help you with something?”
Following his friend’s lead, Cloud puffed his chest and placed his hands on his hips. “Uh, yes. Is there something you need,” he said, his serious tone laced with a hint of awkwardness.
The older woman blinked her eyes at them profusely “Oh! Um…well, I can see that you two are…a-are—oh wow—uh, enjoying your evening! I understand. It’s that time of year. But still, even in such festive times, a woman s-still needs her…mmm…oh, her beauty sleep! Yes! That! So, um, if it’s not any trouble, could the two of you, uhh—God you’re handsome—uh I mean! Umm…k-k-keep it down?”
Zack lowered himself towards the lady—causing her cheeks to blush hard—and flashed her another brilliant smile. “Of course," he uttered with a low tone, winking at her as he took a step back.
Nodding his head curtly, Cloud gave his neighbour a thumbs up. “Can do. G’night.”
“Goodnight!” the woman exclaimed, waving at them glowingly. “You…you beautiful boys,” she whispered.
Grabbing the door, Zack threw the neighbour one last smile as he slowly closed it, chuckling deeply at the way she kept peering over the edge of the door, taking in as much of the exposed men as she could before they fell out of sight.
With a triumphant “Hah!”, Zack turned to Cloud and offered a fist bump. “Told ya’.”
Cloud shook his head, laughing in relief as he bumped his fist with Zack. “I can’t believe that worked.”
“C’mon, Cloud,” Zack said as he stretched his arms out. “With bodies like ours, we can charm any girl.”
“Riiiight,” the blonde replied.
Once they made it back to the living room, Aerith sauntered over to Zack with a dreamy stare. “You really are my hero,” she said as she gazed into his eyes, pressing her hands firmly into his abs.
Grinning back at her, Zack pulled her in close. “You know it.”
Rolling his eyes at them, Cloud swiped his t-shirt and sweater off the floor. Just as he was about to slide them on, he noticed that Tifa was staring at him, appraising his exposed body with a coy smile as she bit the tip of her finger with the corner of her mouth.
“Really?” Cloud deadpanned.
“Can’t blame a girl for lookin’, Cloud,” she said teasingly. “Ever thought of modelling?”
“Har-har,” he drawled out as he slipped his clothes back on.
…
For the rest of the night, the four friends settled down on the couch, gulping down water and munching on Aerith’s hors d'oeuvres and Zack’s party snacks to simmer down from their drunken state, all while watching a slew of Christmas movies on Cloud’s TV.
“Aww…,” Zack whimpered as the third act of the movie “Elf” played out, sniffling as tears began to well up in his eyes. “Buddy’s dad apologised to him. He really loves his son.”
Smiling softly at him, Aerith brushed a stray tear off of his cheek and pulled him for a hug. “You’re so sweet, my love.”
Sitting beside them, Tifa leaned into Cloud’s ear. “Hasn’t he seen this movie already?”
“A dozen times at least,” Cloud answered with an amused smirk.
Once Elf wrapped up, they moved to “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”, and throughout the first act, Aerith and Tifa teased Cloud by comparing him to the titular character.
“Hey look, guys!” Aerith said, pointing at the screen once the Grinch made his entrance. “It’s Grumpy McGrumpster Senior. Cloud’s dad!”
Cloud sighed exasperatedly. “I’m not like the Grinch.”
“I don’t know about that,” Tifa wondered. “You both have whacky hairstyles.”
“Seriously?” he groaned, his face contorting in disgust.
“And you’re both grumpy,” she added smartly.
Aerith gazed up at her boyfriend. “What do you think, Zack?”
Zack lifted his eyes to the ceiling, tapping his chin in thought. “Well…you can be grouchy at times, Cloud.”
The blonde sank back into his couch, folding his arms with a childish frown. “I don’t like you guys anymore.”
“That’s exactly what the Grinch would say!” Aerith exclaimed.
Fortunately for Cloud, Tifa and Aerith dialled back on the teasing as the movie continued.
Until the last five minutes.
“Look at that, Cloud,” Tifa said as she bumped Cloud’s arm with her elbow. “He’s changed for the better. There’s hope for you yet.”
“That’s right, Cloud!” Aerith chimed in. “If your dad can grow, so can you!”
“Change the goddamn movie already,” Cloud begged, earning a round of giggles from the teasing women.
With enough time for one more movie, the group decided on a classic: Home Alone, and the four of them settled into a comfortable silence as they watched the film.
As Cloud watched the final scene, with Kevin happily reuniting with his family, he felt a pleasant swelling within his chest. He couldn’t fathom why, but for some reason, the message behind that scene really hit him deep within his heart—of finally embracing the people closest to you, and loving them with all your heart.
Cloud turned to look at his trio of friends, and his heart warmed as he saw the gentle smiles on their faces as they watched the movie. As he gazed upon them, Cloud eventually figured out why that scene resonated with him so much.
Tifa, Aerith and Zack were his best friends. Practically family. They’ve been through so much together— good, bad, ugly and everything in between—and yet their friendship remained. Hell, it’s grown even stronger as the years go by, and now, as Cloud sat there and looked upon them, he finally realised that his friends meant the whole world to him.
“Man,” Zack spoke once the credits started rolling, pulling Cloud out of his deep thoughts. “Damn good movie.”
“It’s beautiful,” Aerith sighed contently.
“Yeah. Always a classic,” Tifa stated.
Blinking his eyes, Cloud settled back into his chair, his mind still reeling over his sudden epiphany. “Uh…yeah. Good movie.”
A sudden gasp from Aerith caught everyone’s attention. “Oh! We have twenty minutes left, guys!
“She’s right,” Tifa said as she checked the time on her phone. “You know what that means, right?
”
“Oh yeah,” Zack replied excitedly. “Christmas is a-comin’! Put on the Candlelight show, Cloud!”
Grabbing the remote, Cloud booted up the Carols Candlelight show, an annual event where famous singers across the globe come together in a big stadium and sing Christmas Carols on Christmas Eve, while the hosts of the show relay the countdown to midnight. The foursome watched along, smiling and waving their hands together as they watched the celebrities sing their hearts out.
Once the clock struck eleven fifty-nine, Aerith sprung up to her feet. “Oh, it’s almost time!” she squealed with joy. “C’mon guys! Let’s huddle together.”
Moving closer to the Christmas tree, the four friends linked their arms together in a circle and started counting down together, matching their timing with the hosts. The exhilaration brimming from Tifa, Aerith, and Zack’s exhilaration rose higher and higher as they inched closer and closer to midnight, and Cloud felt their energy permeate onto him.
That same energy fuelled the brimming flames that were pulsating in Cloud’s head. Flames that sparked only moments ago, when he gazed upon his friends and realised how much he cared for them…
"Wait!”
Stopping their countdown, Tifa, Aerith and Zack turned to Cloud, confused at his sudden Outburst. Feeding off the fire that blazed fervently within him, he looked out to his trio of friends, with a smile that thrummed with admiration, gratitude, and...
“I love you guys.”
The trio’s reactions were instant. With eyes bulging out of their sockets, Tifa, Aerith and Zack stared at Cloud in complete awe, their jaws practically dropping to the floor.
Cloud didn’t let their astonished reactions startle him. He kept his gaze, smiling at them with as much love and gratitude as he could muster, letting his weighted declaration simmer in the air.
And as a few seconds passed, their shock and awe vanished, and pure, unrelenting happiness took its place, shining brighter and warmer than the sun itself.
“Oh, Cloud,” Tifa breathed, her voice filled with affection. With rosy cheeks and eyes glowing with tears, Tifa wrapped her arms around him, hugging Cloud with all her heart as she kissed him on the cheek. “I love you, too.”
“Me too, Cloud,” Aerith whimpered, trembling with joy. She threw her arms around him and kissed him firmly on the other cheek.
Closing his eyes, Cloud pulled them in closer as his smile grew into an even larger grin. Suddenly, he heard someone crying, and as he opened his eyes, concern flashed across his face when he noticed Zack staring back at him, his entire body shaking and quivering as streams of tears fell down his cheeks.
Hearing him, Tifa and Aerith let go of Cloud and turned to Zack. The second she saw him sobbing, Aerith flew to his side. “Oh, honey. Are you okay?”
At the soft sound of her words, Zack broke into a huge, bawling mess. “Cloud!” he cried out, his vulnerable screaming resounding off the apartment walls.
Sprinting towards his blonde friend, Zack scooped Cloud up and squeezed his arms around him, locking the shorter man in an unbreakable, fierce hug.
“I love you, man!” Zack declared out loud, in between sobs and wails. “I freakin’ love you!!”
“…Zack…my lungs,” Cloud rasped out.
“I’ll donate mine to you! You deserve it, man!!”
Smiling at them fondly, Tifa and Aerith joined the two young men and enveloped them in one, big group hug. With nowhere else to go, Cloud coughed out a chuckle as he patted Zack on the back. “There, there. I love you, too, man.”
“Fifteen, fourteen, thirteen, twelve…” the broadcasters on TV recited.
“Oh, shoot! “It’s almost time!” Aerith reminded everyone.
“Right,” Zack acknowledged, sniffing hard as he lowered Cloud to the floor, wiping away the stray tears on his cheeks with his knuckles. “Let’s not miss this, guys.”
Huddling together once more, the foursome resumed their countdown, bouncing with excitement as they crawled ever so closer to the big finale.
“Five, four, three, two, one…”
“Merry Christmas!!” They all shouted in joy.
Right on queue, a stream of fireworks erupted from afar, their thunderous noises piercing through the windows of Cloud’s apartment. On the TV, more of the spectacular explosions decorated the skies above the stadium in a collage of wondrous glitter, as a compilation of Christmas Carols echoed through the audio speaker.
After sharing another group hug, Cloud, Tifa, Aerith and Zack took turns hugging one another, saying “Merry Christmas” with love and warmth. As Cloud pulled each of his friends close, he whispered “I love you” to them once more. They responded in kind, hugging him tenderly as they declared their unshakeable love for him.
With Christmas officially underway, Cloud and the gang sat around the Christmas tree, taking turns unwrapping their presents and thanking one another with pure love and gratitude for the wonderful gifts they received.
“Holy shit,” Zack shouted in awe, rising to his feet as he looked out the window of Cloud’s apartment. “It’s snowing!”
Gasping out loud, Aerith hurried to the window, and her eyes sparkled at the sight of snowflakes falling down from the sky. “Oh my god! It really is snowing!”
“C’mon, Aerith,” Zack exclaimed as he took her by the hand. “Let’s build a snowman!”
With an exuberant squeal, Aerith pulled Zack towards the front door, and the twosome flung it wide open before sprinting out to the snow-covered world.
Laughing at their antics, Tifa turned to Cloud and patted his shoulder with a vibrant smile. “Well, can’t let them have all the fun!”
Spinning on her heels, Tifa dashed out the front door to join the couple outside.
Standing alone in his apartment, Cloud took a moment to let everything sink in. As every treasured moment of the party flooded his head, the young blonde felt his heart swell with pure happiness, and he couldn’t stop himself from smiling hard.
He was glad that he fought through his nerves and dared to host the Christmas Eve party.
He was glad that he experienced the most wonderful time of the year in the best way possible.
But most of all, he was glad that he celebrated what mattered to him most: spending time with the people he loved more than anything in the world.
And he will never, ever, take that for granted.
“Hey guys!” he called out, his smile unwavering as he bolted towards the front door. “Wait up!”