Chapter Text
"What are you doing?"
To her credit, Cloud's mother was quickly adapting to Sephiroth's sudden appearances. She only startled briefly and didn't drop the tool in her hand.
"Straightening my hair," she replied. She leaned forward, frow n ing at the mirror and pressing at a section of hair. It bounced up, but not as much as usual. She sighed and ran the straightener across the section again. "I've let it go for too long."
Sephiroth watched as Claudia moved on to another section, flattening out the spikes.
"What do you think?" Claudia asked once she'd slicked her hair back into a ponytail. She put a hand against one cheek and tilted her head, smiling. "Do you like it?"
It was sleeker. Cleaner. Less like a wild crest of chocobo feathers.
It made her look less like Cloud.
"No," Sephiroth said bluntly.
(It made her look more like the woman he'd murdered).
Claudia clapped a hand over her mouth, stifling a laugh.
Sephiroth frowned at her. "It was better before."
"Pfft. Well." She waved him off, turning back to the mirror. "Unfortunately that's not a common opinion."
"You shouldn't care about common opinions," Sephiroth told her seriously. This was the mother of his only equal and eventually of Sephiroth himself. She couldn't bow to whims of her lessers.
"It's not really about caring, and more about getting my damn money," Claudia grumbled, digging through a box of makeup and inspecting a tube of lipstick. "Bastard likes to waste my time unless I look respectable ."
"Money?"
"Oh, right, I was meaning to tell you." She set the makeup down and looked back at Sephiroth. "I need to go down to Baldersport in a few days for a meeting. I'm going to leave Cloud with Mrs. Mraz, but. Well. I'm not sure what to do with you."
She hadn't answered Sephiroth's question, but that didn't matter. "Do with me?" Sephiroth echoed, then asked, "and why are you leaving Cloud with a stranger?"
"She's not a stranger," Claudia said setting a hand on her hip and giving Sephiroth a Look . "And I'm going to be gone all day. I can't leave Cloud alone that long. I really shouldn't be leaving you alone either-"
"I can take care of myself." Sephiroth cut her off. He still couldn't believe how chatty the woman could be compared to her son. Then a thought occurred to him. "I can take care of Cloud too."
"You're ten," Claudia pointed out. He wasn't, but she didn't know that. "You shouldn't have to be taking care of anyone."
"But I can ," Sephiroth said stubbornly, "and this way you don't owe anyone a favor."
Claudia still looked dubious. Sephiroth stared her down. Claudia relented.
"How about this," she said. "If you can take care of him the next two days, I'll let you be his babysitter."
---
Sephiroth had proven himself capable. Claudia had conceded to his skill and prevented Mrs. Mraz from having to have an unfortunate accident. On the day she left, once she was past the town gates and well away, Sephiroth took Cloud on a late spring walk straight into the mansion basement.
Sephiroth had already prepared the lab, knowing he was short on time. He was already months behind on Cloud's enhancements as it was.
The delay rankled. Sephiroth knew it would still have been years until Cloud was ready to stand and fight, even on schedule, but he was eager to have a worthy opponent once more.
Even now, he couldn't do much. A proper mako bath was too risky at this stage – Claudia was perceptive in the most inconvenient ways, and the visible effects of the mako were too likely to be noticed. An injection of his blood with just enough mako to integrate the cells, however, would cement his claim without risking the ire of Cloud's mother. It was the perfect compromise.
So why, then, was he hesitating ?
Cloud snuffled into Seph iroth 's shoulder – he had been distressed since entering the basement. No doubt it was from his memories starting to rise up from the fog of infancy, and a sign that Sephiroth shouldn't wait any longer.
Sephiroth absently stroked Cloud's back like his mother would, staring in frustration at the equipment he had prepared.
It wasn't even a serious enhancement. The absolute bare minimum and far more merciful than anything Hojo had ever done. How weak had Sephiroth become, that he worried over hurting this soft creature with something so simple as an injection .
It was unworthy of him to be doubting himself. He was a god. He should act and damn all that would dare to stop him.
And yet....
Sephiroth ran a finger along the soft curve of Cloud's cheek. Cloud snuggled deeper into the crook of Sephiroth's arm.
Babies were so delicate. Claudia had shared enough horror stories the he thought it w a s a miracle any child survived to adulthood. Perhaps it would be more prudent to wait. Sephiroth knew well that Cloud was far more resilient than he looked, but he couldn't afford to make a mistake. Not if he wanted his equal returned to his side.
Sephiroth had at least another year before Cloud's mind would be able to fully comprehend his memories. There were other things he could work on while he waited for his enemy to be strong enough to survive the necessary trials.
Sephiroth could settle for building up the familial bonds for now.