Chapter Text
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"Ugh....."
Cloud groaned in discomfort as the sunlight hit his closed eyelids through the slightly opened curtains, his eyes immediately protesting against the light even though they were still closed as his head was pounding and his throat felt like sandpaper. He immediately pulled the blanket over his head to block out the light as he curled up into a ball and groaned again, only for his very sore throat to protest the action.
"Cloud?" He eventually heard Genesis ask in concern as his partner's hand pulled the blankets away, leaving him to blink up bleary-eyed at the older man. "Oh my dearest. What's wrong? You look positively wretched." The redhead muttered in concern as he pulled off his usual red glove to check his forehead and Cloud immediately leaned into the cool touch as he muttered how he felt terrible and Genesis hummed.
"You do look very sick, Precious and that exactly when we have an important meeting so we can't stay with you." He muttered in concern as he tucked Cloud in and kissed his sweaty forehead, before running out of the room to inform the others. Angeal soon came to check up on him as well and immediately frowned at seeing the miserable state his youngest partner was in. Sephiroth and Zack stayed in the background, but even they winced at hearing Cloud starting to cough like mad. Cloud had already felt a bit off the day before, but it had clearly worsened overnight.
Zack then got an idea and walked away for a few minutes to make a call while the rest of his partners fussed over Cloud. "Aerith is more than willing to come by and keep an eye on him while we're in the meeting." He stated once he returned and Sephiroth relaxed as he nodded, the five of them all knowing and liking the young woman after both Cloud and Zack had accidentally come across her during a day out in the city.
Cloud always hated it whenever the others fussed over him, but they knew he had trouble saying no to Aerith. With them going to be gone for the entire morning at the very least, perhaps longer if the board was going to be annoying again, it was the best option to make sure that Cloud was going to be okay. "Go and call her back. Tell her to come by as soon as she can." He ordered Zack and the other man nodded as he walked away again.
Back in the bedroom, Angeal had managed to help Cloud carefully swallow some nasty tasting medicine against fevers that Genesis had quickly gotten from the bathroom and then briefly left to get him some easy to eat breakfast. Sephiroth and Zack immediately walked into the bedroom once he left and Cloud gave them a tiny smile at seeing their incredibly worried expressions, even Sephiroth who usually looked so solemn. "I'll be fine, guys. I just need rest." He whispered as he reached out and Sephiroth immediately grabbed it, giving it a very gentle squeeze.
Cloud sagged back into the pillow at the warm and loving touch, his eyelids drooping already. "Are you sure that you will be fine? Aerith is coming by to keep you company." The famous general told him, Cloud immediately protesting that he didn't want Aerith to be sick. "Don't worry about it, Cloud. I'm sure she will be careful not to catch your fever. It will ease our mind if you had someone keeping you company." He said.
Cloud immediately pouted in reply and it honestly took everything in Sephiroth not to quickly kiss that pout away as he knew this was the face his partner made when he reluctantly conceded at something, but wasn't happy about it. He knew that they were just worried about him and wanted to make sure he was alright. Angeal then returned with some porridge and Cloud felt just about healthy enough to eat it himself.
The other four members unfortunately had to leave soon after that once Cloud had fallen asleep again and the younger man didn't even wake up from them leaving. When he did wake up a few hours later, it was to Aerith carefully putting a wet cloth on his forehead. "Morning, sleepy-head. Zack told me you were sick." She said cheerfully, although he could see the concern in her face as well. She was just a bit better at hiding it. He simply grunted in answer and she hummed as she helped him go to the bathroom before holding up a bowl with chocolate ice cream and his eyes lit up at seeing it.
She chuckled as she helped him eat and it finally soothed his throat a bit before he sank back against the pillows once he was done and was soon out like light once more. Aerith cleaned up the bowl and was just putting it in the dishwasher when Zack came practically running into the house and she immediately hushed him. "Cloud is sleeping. I just gave him some ice cream and put a wet cloth on his forehead." She whispered.
He quickly calmed down as Angeal came home as well, Genesis and Sephiroth having to stay on duty for the rest of the day. They both immediately thanked Aerith for her help and she happily nodded as she went back to her own home. Zack carefully went to the bedroom and watched Cloud sleep. "I hate how there is nothing we can do." He muttered as Angeal joined him and the older man pulled him close to his chest.
"I know, Zack. Trust me when I say that I hate it as well, but there isn't much we can do for now but give Cloud his medicine, make sure he is well-fed and hydrated and hope that the fever breaks soon enough." He replied as he disliked being unable to help as well, perhaps even more than most of his partners. It made him feel useless, even though he knew there wasn't much he could do to help fight against the fever except give Cloud medicine and make sure his condition didn't get any worse. He sighed and rubbed his face as he realised it was going to be a long night.
By the time he gently woke Cloud again for his next dose of medicine, it was already evening and Genesis and Sephiroth had arrived home for the day, all four of them still very worried about their youngest partners. The mattress was completely wet from Cloud's sweat, so Angeal lifted him up for a bathroom break and a real bath, Zack quickly going to fill it while Genesis and Sephiroth changed the sheets together.
Once the bath was completely done and Cloud had pulled off his wet clothes and had climbed into the bath with help from angeal, he sank so deep into the warm water that the SOLDIER almost wondered if he was still able to breathe. "Can I help?" He asked, the both of them knowing what he meant and Cloud nodded as he still felt like shit and Angeal gently washed his hair and arms, leaving him to wash the rest.
Lifting him up out of the bath again once he was done and wrapping him in the softest towel they had, it said a lot about how sick Cloud was as he just let it happen without much complaint and when Angeal carried him back to the bedroom, all he dud was simply put his head on his shoulder. Putting him back down in bed and tucking him in, he then went to get some dinner for them all, but especially Cloud. Since Genesis and Zack were absolute disasters in the kitchen, Sephiroth was the one usually helping him and that mostly by cutting things in the right proportions.
Zack and Genesis kept Cloud company in the meantime, trying to keep him awake until he had some more food in his stomach. Cloud was completely snuggled up to Genesis, his cheek smudged up against the redhead's chest as Genesis stroked his hair, but did it in such a way that it kept him awake instead of making him fall asleep and he kept talking to him with grep from Zack as they told him about the boring meeting.
"Are you sure that you want to make SOLDIER, Precious? These meetings are more boring than the most boring manual." Genesis then said and Cloud "innocently" asked if this meant Genesis didn't want him to play footsie with him later on, making the redhead stiffen up. "Don't tempt me, darling. You might just regret it later once you're better." He muttered and Cloud snickered, only for it to change into a coughing fit.
Genesis immediately dropped the teasing look on his face at seeing this happening and tightened his grip on the blond with growing worry in his eyes while keeping him in the best position for the cough to hurt the least and Zack rubbed his back, before quickly going to get some water at Genesis's orders and returning within seconds. Cloud greedily drank it with his partners making sure he didn't choke before Sephiroth and Angeal returned with some soup that Cloud ate with some difficulty, before he was finally allowed to fall back asleep and did so within seconds.
Knowing they would be completely unable to relax with their youngest partner so sick, the other four simply cuddled close to each other in bed once they had eaten with Cloud in the middle and both Angeal and Zack at the edges so they could go and get something in case it was needed. They settled down and prepared themselves for a long night, already having agreed to take shifts in taking care of Cloud if needed.
And a long night it turned out to be with Cloud getting fever dreams about losing them all in one way or another, crying and begging them not to leave him even as they were right there next to him and trying to wake him up. He eventually woke up with a heavy gasp as his eyes shifted around the room, before eventually settling on Sephiroth's familiar eyes. "Seph?" He breathed and Sephiroth immediately pulled him closer.
"I'm here, Cloud. We're all here." He whispered as he stroked Cloud's hair and the blond buried his face in his chest as Genesis rubbed his arm from behind and Zack snuggled up close from behind Sephiroth while Angeal watched their youngest partner from behind Genesis. A small hiccuping sound was then heard as Cloud was still crying and Sephiroth shot small, but helpless look towards Genesis and Angeal as he still wasn't sure what to do when someone was crying. Genesis quickly started to hum a nonsensical tune as he kept stroking Cloud's arm until he fell asleep again.
Everyone let out a sigh of relief at realising he had fallen asleep again. "I don't even want to know what he was dreaming of if he was begging us not to leave him, but it cannot have been anything good." Angeal muttered in horror and everyone agreed as they snuggled even closer to their youngest partner without smothering him. Sephiroth nuzzled the top of his head and closed his eyes as he breathed in Cloud's scent.
They eventually managed to fall asleep and the next morning, they were relieved to find that Cloud's fever had mostly broken. He still wasn't fully back to normal, but he was already feeling a lot better. Sephiroth and Angeal went to work that day, leaving Genesis and Zack to watch over him after Angeal had already prepared food for them all. "You feeling any better, Cloud?" Zack asked as Cloud was snuggled up to him.
Genesis was currently taking care of some paperwork. Cloud immediately hummed in confirmation without opening his eyes as he just wanted to sleep a bit more. His head thankfully wasn't as pounding as much as it was the day before, but he still felt like shit and his night hadn't exactly been restful. Zack hummed as well as he nuzzled Cloud's blond spikes and closed his eyes. By the time Genesis joined them again, they had both fallen asleep. He simply made a picture of the adorable sight for Sephiroth and Angeal to see later, before going to join them.
A couple of days later, Cloud was thankfully back to normal and no one was more relieved than his partners as they all sagged once they saw that Cloud was completely okay again and the blond chuckled as he apologised for making them worry. "Nonsense, Cloud. You're one of us now and it was our pleasure to take care of you. Don't think anything about it." Sephiroth stated and the others immediately agreed.
Cloud happily smiled as he then leaned against Zack's side, who first kissed his temple with a loving smile before suddenly tickling him in the side to make him laugh and Cloud immediately squealed as he kicked his legs and laughed, the oldest three members of their peculiar group sharing a look and fondly shaking their heads at their antics before continuing to eat their breakfast and get ready for the day ahead.
Things were back to normal again and that was enough for them