Birthday

Title: Birthday

Author: Enide Dear

Pairing: Cloud/Yazoo

Rating: work safe



A/N: Fic for for second place in my Turk contest!





Yazoo stared and then blinked slowly.



“I fail to see the point of it.” He finally admitted.



“’It’ is not an ‘it’.” Cloud sighed and hoisted his squirmy little burden higher up. “It’s a child. A girl. Her name is Marlene, which you really should know! You kidnapped her, remember?”



“I did not.” With a sniff, Yazoo shook his hair back. “Loz did. I bring in a truckload of children and he managed to get a hold of a single one, yet he gets all the attention. Besides, that doesn’t answer my question. What is the point of….her?”



“You are a meanie!” Marelene stuck out her tongue at Yazoo, then quickly climbed around Cloud to hide behind his back. A small pink tongue peeked out occasionally between the hair spikes.  



“And you are weak, under-educated,  a useless mouth to feed, a non -  contributing, time wasting brat, unable to perform the simplest tasks such as feeding yourself or dealing with personal hygiene. In short a parasite on society. Like all children.” Yazoo kept staring. “So I ask again; what is the point of it?”



Cloud tried to keep his calm.  



“You know, most people consider children to be far more valuable than adults.”



“Really? I can’t see why.” Flipping his hair back, Yazoo stretched leisurely. “I am much more useful now than I was when I was a child, would you not say?” He smiled wickedly, causing Cloud to be temporarily distracted.



“That is not the point! Children are the future!”



“Indeed.” Yazoo smiled. “And we are the present. We can exist without a future, but the future cannot exist without us. Thus, we are more important.”



“It is not use talking to you when you are like this.” With a snort Cloud spun around to carry Marlene out of the room. “When you are done stroking your self-esteem you can come and join us in the living room. There might even be cake left.”



“Cake?” Yazoo sat up so quickly the chair bounced. “There is cake?”



“Of course there is cake, I’ve been trying to tell you – it’s Marlene’s birthday.” With one last look over his shoulder – and Marlene hanging over the other shoulder and making some decisively un-childish and very rude gestures – he walked out.



The door didn’t even have time to slam shut before Yazoo was through it and next to his lover. Momentarily stunned by the amount of chaos in there  - kids running around, adults eating cake, balloons and confetti and toys everywhere, Yazoo blinked.



“What is this?” he hissed, grabbing Cloud’s arm.



“It’s a birthday party.” Cloud frowned. “You could have dressed up a little, you know.”



“M-hm, my wardrobe is somewhat limited. Would you like me to wear the naughty nurse uniform or the cat suit?” Purring, Yazoo blinked at him, making Cloud blush fiercly.



“Never mind.”



“Now, where is the cake?” With predatory instinct, Yazoo scanned the room, finding a huge chocolate and strawberry covered mountain on a nearby table. His eyes dilated the way they usually just did when he got to shoot down Turks. Cloud barely had time to put down Marlene before the remnant dragged him along. Yazoo grabbed a fork and a plate, ignoring the acid glances thrown his way from the other adults with habitual ease and lifted the cake spatula…..but hesitated. His eyes narrowed again.  “This is a real cake?” he demanded. “With real chocolate? There is no half naked Turk going to jump out of it like on my birthday?”



“Of course not, this is a kids party! And I swear I have no idea how Reno got into your cake in the first place.” Cloud huffed.



“Hnf.” Still slightly wary, Yazoo cut a piece of cake large enough to cover most of the plate. And then he stopped and stared across the room. “There is candy over there.” He breathed.



“Yes. A kids party, I already told you.” Cloud rolled his eyes.



Yazoo took a look around, at the running children, the enormous cake, the candy and the utter lack of Turks. He lowered his neck a fraction.



“Well, I must say.” He said as he started to devour cake while pushing his way towards the candy table. “I am starting to see the point of this whole kid thing after all. Perhaps Mother was right. Perhaps we should conceive a few – not too many, a first brood of a dozen or so would be a nice start.”



“What?” Desperate Cloud tried to  break free, but slipped on a dropped gummy bear right into Yazoo’s arms. “A dozen?!” He squeaked as the remnant licked frosting off his ear.



“Oh don’t look so upset, just think about it. They will have my looks, my skills, my fabulousness…and your mental stability. Or mine. And just think of how many  birthdays!”



Yazoo barely had time to finish the sentence before Cloud tore his arm free and bolted with a speed equal to Loz’ limit break. The remnant smiled.



“Oh well. More cake for me then.”