an; In a bout of watching Audie Murphy back to back to back in westerns all day, hanging out with my dad & co... this came out. Not western at all, though.

male bondage – sort of

"Do you have it packed?"

"Yeah, Tifa, I got it!"

"Did you make sure and put in everything you wanted? Like those fruit snacks and gummy – "

"Tifa, I remembered!" Denzel rolled his eyes.

There was a thrumming outside the door, and before Denzel could start itching to get away from Tifa's clutches, he felt the relief sensation instead. She had been like this for at least ten minutes, somehow.

"Cloud's here! Bye!" he darted.

"Denzel, wait!" he heard Tifa's shoes pounding on the floorboards, and he had a split second fear that she wouldn't let him go.

"Here. The most important thing." She placed it in his hand. "How could you go without these?" She gave him that famous smile, and the sudden guilt twined his stomach. But only for a few moments.

He grinned back. "Thanks Teef!"

She ruffled his hair. "Don't keep him waiting. He might leave you behind."

He swatted her hand away while slipping his almost-forgotten goggles onto his forehead. "Yeah, right."

But he still burst through the front door. He was still elated to see Cloud on top of his steed, Fenrir growling in submission.

"Don't have too much fun," Tifa waved from the doorframe while Denzel hopped on, hurrying to put on his pack and grabbing a hold of Cloud's side.

"We'll be back soon." Cloud tipped his head in her direction, then briefly looked down to Denzel, whose eyes exuded enthusiasm.

"Are you ready?"

Denzel thought that was the silliest question he ever heard.

"Yeah!"

Cloud revved the engine by his answer, then he kicked up the stabilizer. He pulled the throttle, and it began. Denzel was jittering, but he tried for stoic.

"Hold on."

Denzel was only able to shift the goggles down before they blasted through the city, consuming a banquet of adrenaline.

"Hey Cloud…" Denzel bit into his grilled cheese sandwich. "What's your favorite color?"

Cloud made a noise, reaching for one chip bag out of the eclectic collection. "I don't have one."

Denzel stared. "You don't?"

Cloud shrugged a little, unwrapping his sandwich. "I guess I've never thought about it."

Denzel chewed slowly, trying his best to mask his surprise. "Well...what do you think would be your favorite color? If you had one."

Cloud mulled over the rainbow the smorgasbord created. Grapes, watermelon, potato salad, a jar of olives, an indecent amount of sandwiches, peanut butter, gummy worms, cookies, pickles… they had taken their whole stock. Cloud smiled.

"Maybe black. Or…red. I do have a favorite sandwich, though," Cloud added. He raised his food. "Thanks, Denzel. It's great."

He swelled huge on the inside, and he grinned. But he didn't give much away. Instead, he scoffed a bit.

"Oh, I didn't make your sandwich. Tifa did most of it," he gave a shrug of his own, but put in, "I told her what sandwich to make, though. So – you're welcome."

Cloud quirked an eyebrow, amused at Denzel's display. "What about you? What's your favorite color?"

Denzel panicked. "Mine's black, too. Blue's a close second, though." It wasn't a lie, completely. He said blue, so that counted. Black was just a new favorite, after he thought about it. Black was really cool.

Then he made a weird face. "I don't really like red. It's kind of…girly." He looked to Cloud. "To me. I won't put it against you if you really like it."

Cloud laughed quietly. "You better not…" he reached for the gummy worms. "Or I'll call you a liar."

Denzel turned white. "What?"

Cloud acted like he was about to start eating. "I thought I heard a mouse in the kitchen last night…"

Then Denzel turned red. He buried his face in his hands. "Aw, Cloud!"

"What did I say?"

This made Denzel look up in a scowl. Bingo.

Cloud flung the gummy bear like a slingshot. It thwacked right smack dab on Denzel's embarrassed cheek.

"Hey!" Denzel went wide-eyed, pulling off the treat. "Not fair!"

Cloud smirked. "You're the one who fell for it."

Denzel's eyebrows stitched together in retaliation. He wanted nothing more than to get back at…

An evil smile cracked onto his face. It was Cloud's turn to put a guard up.

"Well, when we get back, I'll tell Tifa you broke the shower."

Cloud raised a brow. "You and Marlene are the ones who left your toys in the tub."

"Does Tifa know that?" Denzel was triumphant.

Cloud would never admit to pouting. Then he grunted. "She won't believe you."

Denzel grabbed a watermelon slice. "Maybe, maybe not…" He burrowed a seed out of the meat. "But I know she'll believe your favorite colors are black and red."

Cloud's face dusted. He opened his mouth, closed it, sighed, opened it again, then got hit in the forehead with a pinch. He always underestimated little Denzel.

"Ow…" he rubbed it, fingers touching a black seed. "And all I hit you with was a gummy worm."

Denzel shrugged, all smug and victorious. "It's not my fault you pick weak ammo."

Cloud's shoulder twitched. "I pick weak ammo, huh?"

Denzel became combative. "Did I stutter?"

That was it. Denzel was going to stop watching so much television.

Cloud jumped up and quickly ran around the side of the picnic table. Denzel grabbed a handful of peanut butter, yelping as Cloud gained on him.

Denzel, still much too young before his next growth spurt, was taken down in a matter of seconds, being mercilessly assaulted by – once secret – ticklish spots.

Denzel coughed out laughs. "Who – told – you!"

Cloud was malicious. "Marlene."

Denzel put away that information for later. She was gonna get it.

He twisted, fidgeting until he noticed an opening –

He smashed his peanut butter fingers into Cloud's ear and hair. He made a surprised, strangled noise, reaching to wipe the butter out in a reckless fashion.

He gave a mock glare to Denzel, who was laughing and clenching his stomach.

"You know what, Denz..." he stood and walked toward the messy table.

"This is war."

an#2; Happy Father's Day y'all! 8)