My Neko Collectables

Title of One-shot: Never Alone

Characters: Zack (7 years old), Cloud (7 years old), Sora (6 months old), and Roxas (6 months old).

Summary: Cloud was alone after his mother and father passed away. With two baby Nekos to look after and the city guard hunting them, they were never safe. A life for a life is a valuable, but dangerous, phrase. Sometimes it's good to dilute the water, and promise friendship instead.

Over the back alleys of the Neko Kingdom the sun was white and daunting. It shimmered beyond panes of glass, reflecting itself down onto the cobbled stone where the desperate and hungry wrestled over a last piece of bread. By the slushed well of up-thrust rocks the women queued with hollowed out faces and gaunt frames, their buckets grasped tightly in their pale hands.

Guards stalked around the corners, their hands on their hidden swords. With armour of steel-plating and unflinching eyes they snatched the nearest woman to them, dragging her down the farthest alley where her screams could not be heard. Thick smiles, greasy hands and ravenous bites laid waste to what was once an innocent frame, and when they left the next guard would take over.

Down the alley of Fifth And Nine a shadowed figure hugged the side-lines of the cramped houses. The cloak was thick over the young boy's face, hiding the light hair and white ears beneath. Coming around the corner, he flinched and huddled back against the brick, his head bowed low and his eyes cemented to the ground. By and by, the guards slowly began to thaw from their hard games, and soon they dwindled down to two night watchmen.

Cloud daren't move. At the tender age of seven he knew the hardships of the world all too well. Drawn into the shadows, he listened to the men joke and laugh; they kicked an old lady from them, laughing to see her water spill and pointing her to the back of the line.

With hunched shoulders Cloud shrank further into the dark, his hand on the overly large sword his father had left him. He was still fresh to the workings of using the blade, but it brought him comfort.

Whilst dusk chased the sun an old lady was backhanded roughly, and someone pushed past him. They bumped him roughly, but the boy never looked back.

"Hey!" The boy called out. His voice was squeaky with the tremble of nerves, but he tried to sound brave.

Stupid kid, Cloud thought.

The guards shoved the old lady away. She scrambled for her home, and the eyes of the alley turned between the guards and the boy with the raven hair. The kid fluffed himself up, refusing to step back.

"Well, what do we have here?" The first guard, Badger, called. He was a loathsome man of thirty six, freshly new to the recruitment of the castle and eager for his share of blood and fear. "A pretty little kitten out for a night-time stroll? Ha!"

"Run along, boy. A mouth like that'll get you hurt," Badger's companion, Reygon, said. Unlike Badger he was forty eight, a man grown and wise and unafraid to show a troublesome Neko how to fit into the frightening world.

The boy looked to where the old woman was roaring in her retreat. He stiffened, unyielding to their brutality as they rounded on him, ganging up on either side of him.

"You shouldn't do that!" The boy yelled, reaching for the sword on his hip. "She didn't do nothin' wrong!"

"She was in our way!" Badger snapped. "Take your hand from that sword, boy, else we'll show you what a man can do."

"She didn't do nothin' wrong!"

The words repeated seemed stronger, and the guards didn't like it.

"My watch is up, Badger," Reygon said, his eyes twinkling in the growing haze of the world. "You think you can handle a kitten like this?"

"I can do more than handle him." Badger stepped forward, cracking his knuckles. His boots stomped hard against the stone, and he grinned with a golden tooth. "You go on ahead. Save me a beer. I'll teach this twerp a lesson."

"Hmph, alright. Don't kill it though. If he can pick his way through a fight it might be worth a few coins up at the castle. They're always looking for experimental subjects down in the dungeons."

Reygon left. Badger stood over the boy threateningly. "You gonna use that thing or not, kid?"

The boy froze, unsure. He took a step back, his fingers slipped against the handle of his blade, and the guard smirked.

"I thought not. Come here, you little runt!"

Cloud closed his eyes and flinched. He heard the boy being yanked from the stone, heard the thick crunch of a fist slamming across skin, and the kid's yelp was fresh and terrified. Grasping the wall tight, still huddled under his cloak, Cloud peeked an eye open. The crowd around the well had begun to move a lot faster, and the guard was nowhere to be seen.

In a small tangent of an alley hiding on the opposite side he could overhear the boy yelping and crying out. He folded his ears back and bit at his lip, looking over the sea of people. The drunks kept their eyes on the floor, refusing to look up as they cowered in fear; the women shuffled faster, trying to get as much water as possible before the guard came back. Nobody was willing to help.

The sounds increased until finally they succumbed to a gentle whimper and died. But the beatings never lessened.

Inhaling deeply, Cloud pulled himself away from the wall. His fingers left the brickwork and he slowly ventured across the yard, slinking to the far wall and gulping. The women's' eyes widened, and they called to him in soft whispers, begging him to come away; to return home to the new-borns. The drunk by his feet pulled on his cloak gently with weather-worn fingers, glancing up to him with a toothless mouth and urging him to flee.

Cloud pulled his cloak from him and slipped into the dark alleyway, his sword drawn. He hardened to see the boy lifeless on the floor. Badger had his back to him, spitting and cursing as he fiddled with his belt, slipping the knots free.

"I'll teach you, ya little runt. Couple o' lashes will sort you out."

He slapped the belt down against the ground, and the buckle slashed the mud. Cloud recoiled, afraid of the guard's weapon. He had to be fast; the cut had to be clean.

Gathering courage he held the blade firm, so tight his knuckles turned white, and with a running charge and a fierce grunt he impaled the guard through the stomach.

Badger sucked in an unholy breath. His belt dropped from his hands and he looked down to the red steel sticking through his gut and clothes. He opened his mouth to scream, but before he could the drunk sprinted by Cloud, holding the man's mouth tightly closed. Two women pulled a frozen Cloud away.

The sword stuck fast, and another unemployed soul cleaned the steel and brought it to Cloud's fingertips. Cloud took it gently as the women fretted over him. He heard Badger's neck snap, and then suddenly the corpse was being raided. Leather shoes, battle-armour, blood-stained cloth and fine gold teeth all fetched a pretty price if a person knew the right place to sell them to, but Cloud was uninterested.

Thanking them, he sheathed his sword and snuck around the body, making his way up to the boy. The gashes along the forehead were heavy, and the sores and bruises lining the broken nose and the ripped chest were deep and bloody. Cloud eased the boy onto his back with a grunt, shuffling him further up so the even breathing was against his ear.

"Please, Little One, leave the runt! He is trouble to these parts!" A woman urged, getting on her knees before him.

"I can't leave him," Cloud said. He stepped around her and over the carcass.

"Then please, don't take him to where the twins rest. Please, Little One, please don't! He's trouble!" The beggar-man whined, going to take the boy from his back.

Cloud moved away from him, bowing his head gratefully. "We'll be safe, I promise. Thank you all again for your help."

"Anytime, Little One," they chorused.

Cloud smiled, looking out between the corners of the alley. The people behind promised to take care of the body, and he trusted them. Slinking away into the night, he made his way back home.

To get there he had to slip beneath an iron bridge, wade through the moat of slimy water with the bugs that sucked his skin, and twist his way down a complicated network of back alleys that always seemed to change, sprouting new walls whenever he learned the right path. By the time he reached his home darkness had formed a web of stars so the moon could nap in their hammock.

Jumping down several steps, he slipped up against the door. Sliding an old bronze key into the lock, he held his shoulder to the door, lifting the wood and shoving against it hard. With a groan it eased open, and inside the musky heat was overpowering.

With the door closed he set his eyes on the poor excuse for a house. The fire greeted him with a crackle and a buoyant smile, held back only by the fireguard; a small couch rested in the centre of the room with an open archway leading to a kitchen beyond. Upstairs was two rooms, but only one was used, and in it there rested two beds; one for Cloud himself, and the other for his smaller brothers.

He set the boy down on the couch, laying him on his side. Unstrapping his sword, he placed it down on the far side of the room before leaving to fetch a bowl of warm water and a cloth.

Sitting by the couch, he rinsed the rag and set to work clearing the blood and wrapping the wounds. He didn't know much about how to fix things, but the boy's injuries weren't as bad as they looked. The broken nose had led to swelling under the eyes, the bottom lip was split, a deep bruise was beginning to form on the underside of his chin and his chest was badly beaten.

When he was done Cloud placed the bowl to a side, tearing some cloth with his hands and wrapping it tight to the other's chest. With his task completed he ventured upstairs, stepping into his room.

Upon the bed on the far left side the blankets were in a tussled mess. His youngest brother was undoubtedly the lump curled in a deep sleep with his head on the pillow, the brunette tufts being the clear giveaway. Sat behind him, blonde hair ruffled and blue eyes blinking, Roxas wrinkled his nose.

The twins were a few months old, and already they acted as complete opposites in Cloud's eyes. Roxas smiled to see the familiar shadow in the doorway, crawling forwards and tripping over Sora to land on his front. He blinked down at the sheets, his ears twitching ever so slightly as he tried to understand how he had come so close to them. Unaware of foiling his brother's plans, Sora turned over, kicking out in his sleep and rolling Roxas from him.

"I thought I put you to bed two hours ago?" Cloud smiled, kneeling beside the bed.

Roxas giggled, holding onto Cloud's outstretched hand. The small palm fitted snugly in his brother's, and he beamed.

"C'oud."

"Cloud," Cloud repeated slowly.

"C'oud."

"C-l-oud."

"'Oud."

"You had it better before," Cloud laughed, rolling his eyes. "Come on, bed."

He laid Roxas down and tucked him under the covers beside Sora. But as Cloud let them fall Roxas kicked them away with a cheeky smile.

"Roxas, I'm not playing. Bedtime."

"C'oud."

Cloud pulled the covers back up, but again they were pushed back. Roxas shimmied over onto his front, whining uncomfortably. Beside him Sora opened his blurry eyes, blinking twice and staring down the end of his nose to his brother.

"C'oud…?"

"Great. I suppose you'll wanna stay up too, huh?"

Sora jerked the covers from him, pushing Roxas down and using him as a stool to prop himself up. With a grunt Roxas wriggled away, and Sora fell onto his face. The brown ears tried to twitch, but were still too knew to perform any great movement. Sora began to sniffle. His small face scrunched upwards and the tears sprang forth from nowhere. Soft cries echoed around the room, and seeing how his brother was crying, Roxas copied him.

Cloud's shoulders sagged inwards with defeat. Scooping them up, one in each arm, he shushed them quietly, holding them to him protectively. With the stars and the moon hanging upon a windy sky he hummed the song his mother had taught him when he was younger.

Twice he repeated the melody before they began to settle. Remembrance stung Cloud's heart, and sharp beady tears bubbled to the corner of his eyes. He rubbed them away on his shoulder, trying to act grown up, but as he moved he shook Sora's head a little too much, and the crying started again.

Roxas finally quieted with a hiccup, his eyes closing heavily. When he yawned Cloud laid him down beneath the covers, giving Sora the majority of his attention.

With Sora finally began to shush Cloud cuddled him under the covers. He tucked both their feet in and stood over them for a moment, one of his ears bent with exhaustion. He rubbed his left arm, looking beyond the window to where the moon twinkled on. With a sigh he gave the twins a soft smile, closing the door on his way out and sneaking down the stairs.

Horror choked him to see the front door hanging open. Sucking in a heavy breath, he threw his ears back and moved cautiously, closing the door. The wind stopped howling, and the fire barked and crackled in the living room. He entered cautiously, standing as tall as he could with his eyes narrowed.

Inside was exactly the way he had left it. No nasty shadows hung by the archway, no riff-raff had sauntered in, and there were no guards around… but the boy was gone. Cloud checked the kitchen to be certain, and sure enough he was right. He locked the front door, sitting down against the couch in silence.

It ebbed at him slowly, drinking his soul from him as it did every other night. His dad had passed away only a few short months ago, his mother leaving only a few months before him, and Cloud had never thought the world to be so empty and alone until then.

Pulling his feet up to his chest, he hugged himself tight in the empty house and shivered. It was a cold night, and with the twins sound asleep upstairs, it was going to be a long one too.

Two Weeks Later

Zack was alone again. His wounds had finally healed, but there was still the faintest glimpses of bruises under his eyes. Holding tight to his sword, he weaved in and out of the back-alleys, looking for a way to skulk around the heavy guard.

Often he thought back to the house he had woken up in; the empty space, the sword on the far side of the room, the fire burning, the crying upstairs. He'd bolted the first chance he'd got, and he was sure it was the right thing to do. No doubt the guard had dragged him back for extra punishment.

He shivered and turned left into an alley. Taking a step forward, he frowned and flicked his ears at the people skulking and flinching away. They screamed about him, pushing back as he pushed forward. He heard the sound of dog-like beasts baying and ripping into heels, and he dragged himself up a drainpipe aligning a house for a better view.

Over the mass-hysteria he saw it. The boy in the cloak he had pushed past before was being held up in the air by his collar. The sword was shattered on the ground, and the blood was thick in clunks along his face. Zack was almost thankful the kid was unconscious, he cringed to think how much pain he'd be in otherwise.

A man yelled out for the guard to let the kid go, and another guard released a snapping dog upon him. Zack gagged as the jaw was ripped from the man's face, turning his attention back to the boy in the cloak. The guard holding him was Reygon; he recognised him. The man snarled in the kid's face, shouting commands to the others before dragging the boy into one of the back-alleys with him.

Zack's ears flicked forwards, and he looked up at the rooftops. Shimmying further up the drainpipe, he grabbed hard to the top and yanked himself up, bowing low to the rooftops and sneaking along between them. He jumped the small gaps when it came to it, sucking in a breath when a guard sauntered past the alley he was hiding above.

With his nerves aflame he made it to Reygon's alley. He chanced a look over the edge of the building, wincing to see Reygon boot the kid in the stomach so hard that blood came from his lips.

"I'll fuckin' teach you, boy! Badger's gone an' I know you did it, runt!"

He yanked the boy up. The hood fell back, and Reygon's eyes widened in fear to see white ears drooped atop blood-stained blonde hair. He dropped him as if he was infected, backing away to the mouth of the alley.

"You… You're-"

"He's not nothin'," Zack yelled.

Jumping down from the rooftop, he pulled his sword free and sliced it thickly across Reygon's throat. The blood spurted towards him, catching his chest and staining his shirt in light spurts. Zack stepped away, letting the man thud to his knees and topple forwards with wide eyes.

Struggling to catch his wheezing breaths, Zack turned back to the boy behind him. The cuts were shallow along the forehead and neck, but the bruising was black and ugly. The dogs bayed angrily beyond them, and Zack gulped. Ignoring the issue with the white ears, he dropped his sword and picked Cloud up in his arms, shuffling up his chest and sprinting down the end of the alley.

Unsure of where to go, he hid himself in the shadows of the backstreets. He would have taken the boy to his home, if he'd had one of course. Wrinkling his nose, he heard footsteps to his left and froze.

A woman gasped, scuffling from the shadows. A toddler was wrapped up in her arms in a thick shawl, and her aquamarine eyes widened as she looked upon the white ears. Zack shuffled uncomfortably, backing against the wall as the woman knelt to the ground beside him.

Her hair was as silver as the moonlight on a diamond, and she swept a wavy curl back from her face. She was twenty five years old, and she cuddled her baby to her chest as if she thought Zack might snatch him.

He glanced from her to the blonde in his arms, and he flinched away, holding him tighter.

"I didn't do it, Miss. Honest I didn't!"

"Hush, young one," she soothed. "Surely you must understand the predicament you are in? The hounds are barking for blood tonight. You must take Cloud home. Keep him safe with the others."

"C-Cloud?"

"That is this one's name, young one. Do you know the way to his home?"

"Can't you take him?" Zack asked, offering Cloud out desperately. "Please, I don't want any more trouble-"

"I cannot. The hounds bite at all they see, and I am too slow and clumsy with my child to be far from my door, especially with such a threat. Please, you must take him. I can tell you where to go, and once you are there the Network will keep you safe."

"The Network?"

"You will not see them, but they will be there. Please, young one. Cloud must not perish with the night."

Zack looked down to Cloud. His black fringe fell in front of his eyes and he nodded slowly. "Okay. Which way?"

She gave him directions swiftly, hushing her child when he tugged at her blouse.

"You will not have far to travel, but you must do it safely all the same. Lock the door tight when you get home, young one. Let nobody in until I come in the morning light. Do you understand me?"

"Yeah-"

"Good. Now go."

She pushed him gently and he ran. He slinked between the shadows, paddling through the stream and beneath the bridge like she had told him, holding Cloud above the freezing water and flinching when the guards marched overhead. The news of a second guard being killed had spread fast, and a bell was calling for blood loud over the city.

For half an hour Zack skulked between alleyways with his ears straining to hear over the sound of his pounding heart. He reached the door the young woman had told him to hunt down, and he fished in Cloud's pockets for a key. Finding it, he unlocked the door and banged his shoulder against it, slamming it close behind him with his boot and locking it.

He stopped when he reached the living room. The eerie similarity to the room he had woken up in was beyond startling; the fire crackled in the same way, the open arch and run-down couch were the same… All that was missing was the sword.

Did… Did this kid save me?

He pushed the thought to the back of his mind and laid Cloud down upon the couch. The blonde groaned, coughing more blood out onto his lips and shivering. Zack helped himself about the house. Locating a bowl, he filled it with water and brought it back to the living room with a cloth. He cleaned the gashes, pausing every time Cloud winced with a ragged breath. There wasn't much he could do for the bruises, so he wrapped them gently with the bandages he found. He tugged the cloak from Cloud's shoulders, untying it from his throat and laying it across him like a blanket instead.

Unsure of what to do after he had finished, Zack sat on the floor by the fire, thinking over all that had happened. He was left to his thoughts for five minutes before the sound of wailing crept downstairs. Zack tensed, remembering the sound.

With a quick glance over to Cloud, he picked himself up and ventured after the noise, proceeding with caution. Each step creaked in his ear, and the sound only seemed to become louder. He reached the landing, and he pushed the loud room open.

Inside was dark. The wailing stopped, and as the light gushed in Zack saw something small, round, and slightly fat twitch on the far-end bed. Beside it was a smaller figure that cooed and propped themselves up.

Zack raised an eyebrow, stepping into the room. His fists had been clenched, ready to fight, but he relaxed at the sight of the two kittens. Kneeling down beside them, the first to meet him (the slightly round and chubby child) was the brunette. The boy sneezed, crawling over with a smile for the new face. He propped himself up on Zack's chest, reaching a hand up to his chin.

"C'oud," he gurgled.

The baby was a few months old. Zack gently sat him back down on the bed, ruffling the small boy's hair.

"I'm not Cloud. My name's Zack." He looked beyond the brunette to where the blonde kitten was sat up with his head tilted to the side and his wide eyes blinking. The blonde child stayed away from him, twitching his ears gently.

The brunette was definitely friendlier.

"You guys got names?" Zack asked.

At a few months old he expected the small kittens to have a few words under their belt. Nothing spectacular, of course, but definitely something. When neither answered him he was a little worried. He pushed his hand to his chest, emphasizing his point.

"My name's Zack. Z-ack. Can you say it? Za-ck."

"C'oud!" Sora yelled, pulling himself up and tugging on a piece of Zack's black hair. He pulled it to him thoughtfully, examining the colour. "C'oud?"

"No," Zack winced, holding his head on an uncomfortable angle. "That's black. See, it's a colour. My name's Zack. Z-a-c-k."

"C'oud."

"No. Zack."

"C'oud!" Sora insisted, yanking hard on the hair.

Zack winced, trying to untangle the brunette's podgy fingers from the strands.

"Za!"

Zack looked up. Beyond Sora the blonde wrinkled his nose, stumbling over the word.

"What?" Zack laughed, no longer wrestling with the brunette for his hair. "Can you say it again? Za-ck."

"Za!" Roxas laughed, clapping his hands together. "Za!"

"Za-ck. My name's Za-ck."

"Za…" Roxas paused, waiting extra-long and stuttering over his tongue for the sound. When it refused to come, he resorted back to the first. "Za!"

Zack smiled. In the cooling room he shivered, looking through the window to where the sun was setting in the spring frost.

"Better get you two downstairs by the fire, huh?"

"C'oud," Sora mumbled, still holding tight to Zack's hair.

Zack scooped him up at an odd angle, picking Roxas up in his other arm. As they bumped down the stairs Sora spluttered random syllables, humming and enjoying the way the bounces tickled his throat. He released Zack's hair at last when they reached the bottom step, and when he laid them down on the matt they sprawled out in front of the fire.

Zack sat in front of them, pushing them away from the blaze whenever they got too close. Dressed in their simple baby clothes, they were protected from the rough carpet-burns from the rug, but Zack was still watchful.

Sora spotted Cloud first. Crawling and stumbling to the couch, he used Roxas to push himself up again and held onto the end of Cloud's nose.

"C'oud!" He grinned, having found his prize.

With a wince, Cloud opened his eyes. He blinked for a moment, adjusting to the change before his eyes sharpened on Sora, and he smiled.

"It's C-l-oud," he coughed, slinking further under the cloak. "Where's-"

"They're okay," Zack whispered, rubbing the back of his head nervously.

Cloud tensed, trying to sit up before he groaned, grasped his chest, and sank back against the covers. Zack was by his side in a heartbeat. He picked Sora up gently, putting him beside his brother and allowing them to playfully tussle on the rug.

"Easy," he chastised. "You're hurt. I promised some lady I'd take care of you."

"S-some lady? Urgh… I feel awful."

"You don't look much better either."

"Thanks. Why are you here, anyway? You ran off before-"

"I thought this was a guard's house. I heard the crying, and I…" He stopped, looking over to where Sora was trying to bite Roxas' ear with no teeth. "I was wrong. I wanted to say thank you."

"Thank you?"

"For saving me. You didn't have to-"

"Couldn't exactly leave you like that," Cloud smiled. He propped himself up, sagging back down until Zack helped him. "Sora! Behave."

Sora looked over his shoulder. With a sheepish grin he let Roxas' ear go, but no sooner had he sat down than Roxas smirked, flicking his tail cheekily before he dived on his brother.

"Roxas! Oh for Pete's sake." He tried to get up, but his gut lurched and his chest heaved. With a wince he bit his lip. "W-would you mind?"

"Mind?" Zack asked.

He looked over to where the twins tussled. With a laugh he pulled them apart, raising Sora up to his shoulder and placing Roxas by his side. He recognised his mistake in seconds; Sora latched around his hair again, pulling on it gently.

"C'oud!"

"No, it's black," Zack muttered. "They always like this?"

"Unfortunately. They're my little brothers."

"No kidding. You guys are the spit out of each other's mouths." He skimmed the small house again, flicking his ears backwards and forwards. "Where's your parents, anyway?"

"P-parents? Oh." Cloud sank down against the couch. "Gone."

"Oh… Sorry to hear that."

"'S'okay."

"Mine are gone, too. Woke up one morning and they'd just… just left," he stared at the ground in bewilderment, still holding Sora as the brunette tried to catch his twitching ear. "My name's Zack, by the way."

"Mine's Cloud."

"Cloud?" Zack chuckled. "Sure it ain't C'oud?"

They laughed together, both happy for the company and the peace. Sora chirped at having caught Zack's ear, and by Zack's side Roxas became amused with following a ladybug across the floor. The laughter finally fell away, and Zack scooped a wandering Roxas up to him, ignoring the stare of betrayal he was given. Roxas reached out for the bug once more, and Zack caught it for him, letting it trail up and down his fingers and thumb. Roxas watched it, catching it from time to time before opening his hands to let it run again.

"So this lady," Cloud asked. "She have silver hair?"

"Yeah. How'd you know?"

"Her name's Raina. She nurses the twins for me."

"Nurses?"

"Yeah, you know, cuz she's a girl, and she's got too much milk after having her own baby," Cloud blushed.

"O-oh. That kind of nurse."

"Yeah, that kind of nurse. Goddess, I ache…" He slumped further down until he was lying flat.

Zack pulled Sora away from his ears, laying him down on the mat beside his brother and leaving them with the bug for a babysitter.

"So, why were the guards after you? You do something wrong?"

"They found out I killed the guard," Cloud shrugged. He trembled a little at hearing the words fall so carelessly off his tongue, and he wondered what his mother and father would have thought of him. He shrank in on himself, feeling the weight of the world hit him with the heat of the fire.

"Well, thanks again, anyway. You can go to sleep if you want. I'm not gonna go anywhere."

"They all say that."

"No, I mean it," Zack smiled. His eyes glimmered softly, and he stretched his arms upwards, picking the twins up and cuddling them into Cloud's side. "I give you my word I'm not gonna go anywhere. I promise."

"We'll see," Cloud whispered, hugging his brothers to his chest. They yawned and nestled against him, curling in on each other for warmth.

Cloud sighed. He was used to members of the Network coming to check up on him. His mom and dad's old friends were frequent visitors when he did foolish things, but they never stayed around long. They always left him on his own at some point, and he was always lonely when he woke up. Today would be no different.

"So you are planning to stay?" A soft voice asked. Cloud recognised it as Raina's, and he shut his eyes a little tighter, listening to the conversation.

He could hear the sound of suckling, new she was probably covered over with the shawl and a twin on either knee. Just outside the door Cloud heard Zack's voice tremble back to them, and he could hear the nerves shimmying through him at the thought of a woman being bare from the waist up in the living room.

"Um, I-I think so. If Cloud wants me too, o'course."

"And what if he says no?" Raina asked, her voice sweet and smooth.

"I guess I'll, er… well-"

"I do not think he will turn you away, Zack. This Little One has been alone for six hard months now. You seem to have a good soul, and a generous heart."

"Y-ya think so?"

"I am a good judge of character, Zack. I think you would do well to be a part of this family."

"Yeah?"

Cloud heard her patting one of the twin's back, and knew she was almost finished. His heavy mind was groggy still, and his wounds egged him on to rest his bruised body, but he wanted to listen.

"You may come in, Zack. The twins are sleeping."

Zack's footsteps were soft, but not entirely faded. "That was fast."

"They are only small."

"Oh. Is he gonna be okay?"

"Cloud will recover, I am sure, but it will take time. He is hurt, as you too were once hurt. Days of rest are needed, but who should take care of the twins?"

"I can do it."

"You are sure?"

"Yeah. All I have to do is keep an eye on 'em, right?"

She laughed. "If only it were so simple. These two are troublesome, and they will need changing, bathing, playing with, teaching, providing for, and keeping safe."

Zack whistled. "Wow, that's a lot. But you'll do the feeding, right? I haven't got the er… the erm…"

"I will be back thrice more today to see the twins are fed, Zack. You have no worries there."

"Good."

Zack sighed with relief, and Cloud couldn't focus his mind anymore.

When he next came too it was dark. On the floor in front of him the twins were curled up on a pillow in front of the fire, wrapped in a blanket and snuggling between each other to keep warm. Zack nudged his shoulder lightly again, and Cloud glanced up.

Zack grinned, one ear held sideways as he offered him the bowl. "You gotta get up. I've made soup so…" He shrugged lightly, his smile slipping. "I'm not the best cook in the world, but I tried hard enough."

"The twins-"

"Have been fed, winded, changed, bathed, and finally knackered themselves out about ten minutes ago. Will you take this please? It's burning my hand."

Cloud sat up, taking the bowl and staring at it dumbly.

"It's not poison or nothin'," Zack defended. As if to prove his point he dipped his own spoon into Cloud's bowl, taking a bite and smiling. "See? Perfectly fine."

"You stayed," Cloud muttered, completely bewildered. "Normally people don't stay with me. You could get hurt."

"What, cuz of your colouring? So you've got white ears. So what?" He placed the spoon down and raised his own bowl to his lips. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand when he was done, he licked his lips and smiled. "I don't care what colour you are. You're a good guy, and that's all that matters."

"Thanks," Cloud smiled, sipping the soup. It was hot and spicy on the tongue, not the best in the world, but definitely edible.

"You like it?"

"It's great," Cloud lied with a laugh, forcing a few more mouthfuls down his throat. He offered Zack the rest, claiming to be full, and Zack guzzled it down like a boy half-starved.

That night Cloud stayed up until he couldn't keep his eyes open any longer, happy there was someone around to talk to; happy Zack had stayed.

He wasn't alone anymore.

The first one-shot I was asked for relating to telling some of the backgrounds of the characters in My Neko. I hope people enjoyed and that you like! I'm not sure who to post next time, so if you've got a favourite let me know :)

Oh, as for Roxas and Sora - I know they're only 5 months old, and 5 month old babies (or kittens, as they're called) can't talk and crawl and move about at five months old, but these are Neko babies. I want them active from a young age because they still have some of the animal traits in them. I hope that makes sense ^_^'

I hope people enjoy how Cloud & Zack met!