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Cloud didn’t ever really have high expectations when it came to certain aspects of growing up on an airship. All of his needs had been met and there were occasions when asking for more felt like a suicide mission. Why ask for more when he was content?
He and his brother got to stay on board. They had their own shared room that no one was allowed to come into without knocking. They got meals everyday and the work that Cloud did was well within his capabilities.
Vincent had even recently started teaching Denzel how to read. He knew his letters and could spot his and Cloud’s name but more than that was out of his hands. Vincent taking over had been a blessing.
Cid only rolled his eyes these days when Cloud called him pops too. All in all it was a fair arrangement.
Cloud worked for room and board and Denzel stayed out from under foot. He didn’t go in the engine room in case of unforeseen accidents and the crew, for the most part, was kind to the young boys.
Of course that might have had something to do with Cid threatening to toss a jerk off the viewing deck after they’d made Denzel cry.
Nothing like the threat of plummeting to your death to keep you in line.
Cloud and Denzel’s childhoods had taken a turn and Cloud still tried to play with his little brother and keep him from getting bored. He wanted Denzel to have good memories, even if they weren’t like other kids. They didn’t have much in the way of toys but surprises did occasionally happen.
Both had received a small cake on their respective birthdays. Denzel had been delighted on the day he’d received his and Cloud had nearly choked to death to keep himself from crying on his own birthday.
Cid and Vincent were… kind at the oddest of moments. Not that they were ever particularly cruel. Cloud rather got the impression that they were trying to figure out the whole ‘raising children’ thing.
Cloud wasn’t sure what was so hard about it but maybe he just didn’t grasp adult things. Maybe it was the fact that they were on an airship that was almost always in the sky. Perhaps that meant supplies were harder to come by on a whim?
Either way, he was always pleasantly surprised when some holiday was taken seriously. Their first Christmas on the ship had been a delight even if Cloud had spent most of it held up in their little room. He hadn’t been ready to share himself at the time but Cid really was becoming more and more like a dad. Gruff but sincere.
Vincent was something else altogether. He was a force Cloud never wanted to see angry but on the day to day dealings, he was so soft.
It was partly why Cloud hadn’t been all that surprised to find Vincent helping Denzel make a costume for Halloween. It wasn’t all that complicated, and it was ugly, but Denzel loved it and that’s what mattered. With material taken from storage, Vincent helped make Denzel a pumpkin costume after the boy had seen Charlie Brown and wanted to be what he assumed was the Great Pumpkin.
It worked well enough and made the five year-old boy very happy.
When his brother demanded he also participate, Cloud just smirked and threw together the first thing he could think of. He stole one of Cid’s jackets and a pair of his goggles and it was the first time he’d ever heard Vincent bark out a laugh.
Cloud was dressed up as the captain for Halloween, equipped with an unlit cigarette for show that Vincent took from him. He hadn’t really thought it would go past a little silly bout of dress up. They were in the air after all and it was hard to do any normal Halloween things. He was equally as surprised as his brother when Vincent reached to take Denzel’s hand to lead him across the ship.
There were no pumpkins but gourds had been carved with silly faces, glowing with light inside that would surely give the safety inspectors a heart attack. Red and orange lights had been hung up and Cloud’s jaw practically hit the floor when he saw several members of the crew dressed up in thrown together, spooky costumes.
Vincent led Denzel to every door, the child nearly in excited tears over getting to trick-or-treat after all. It had to have been so meticulously prepared for someone to be in every room to pass out candy to both boys.
Denzel turning to look at Cloud in excitement made him feel a little guilty. Denzel was ready to thank him for this and Cloud would have to make sure he thanked the right people for this little adventure. Their mom had been sick for a few years and Denzel had never gotten to trick-or-treat before.
Cloud had those memories of running around the neighborhood with his mom jogging after him but Denzel didn’t. His brother holding Vincent’s hand going to every door was so meaningful and Denzel didn’t even know it yet.
Once they left the private quarters they went to other areas of the ship, all of them decorated with different themes. Cloud couldn’t imagine how they’d set this up and he’d hadn’t caught a single glimpse of it
They wandered through the lounge area. The conference room. The armory. The operation room. Denzel getting more treats along the way and showing off his pumpkin costume with a smile.
The machinery room was blocked off with exaggeratedly bloody caution tape, but that was a place Denzel wasn’t supposed to be anyway so it was just funny.
The viewing deck was set up like a little maze. It wasn’t really big enough for adults, even Cloud could clearly see over it but for Denzel it was a fantastic game. Cloud watched as his brother tore into it, eager to see the prize at the other end when Cid jumped out at him in a full vampire costume. Denzel shrieked, dissolving into laughter seconds later.
Cloud reached out, holding onto Vincent’s sleeve while he watched Cid chase Denzel through the homemade maze that was just his size. “Valentine, thanks.” He said quietly. “He’s having so much fun…”
Vincent looked down at him, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “It was all Cid’s idea.”
“It was a nice one.”
“Hmm.” Vincent only hummed but the noise was full agreement. “The crew was oddly on board with it as well.”
Cloud couldn’t help but think of them seeing this as a night off, or something similar. A night of something new to change the routine and bring them a little bit of home. The crew wasn’t home to celebrate Halloween either
“Well we’re having a good time.” Cloud muttered, a tad embarrassed as he pulled out another unlit cigarette to fidget with. Cid and Vincent weren’t really mushy sort of people, and that had others thinking they were constantly cold. They were the opposite however. One a little gruff and the other a little stoic, but they were in fact the nicest people Cloud had ever met.
To go through all this trouble just for them warmed him immensely, but the pair was always doing little things for them.
“I’m glad to hear that.” Vincent said, voice gentle. He ruffled Cloud’s hair so it popped back into spikes, ruining the way he’d slicked it back to try to look more like Cid. “You boys deserved a bit of fun.”
Cloud felt his face heat up, pleased to have the holiday returned to him. This wasn’t something he’d known he'd wanted, and definitely wasn’t something he would have known how to ask for.
Vincent plucked the cigarette out of his hand.
“Heey.”
“No.”
“It’s a prop!”
Vincent snorted. “Still, no.” The older man was weird about the strangest things. It wasn’t like Cloud was gonna smoke it!
Cloud looked up again when he heard Denzel scream. It was such a ‘i’m having fun’, ‘Halloween’ scream. He was old enough to know that nothing on the airship would hurt him but every time Cid or one of the other crew members jumped out at him, he couldn’t help but loudly react.
“Cloud! Look!” Denzel said, running towards him. He had a giant candy bar in one hand and a large, fake spider in the other.
Cloud couldn’t help his smile. “Your loot for making it to the end?”
“Uh huh!” Denzel’s eyes were practically sparkling. Really, this was basically his first Halloween ever.
“Perhaps you’ll get another prize if you manage to scare Cid.” Vincent mused, putting the idea in the small boy's head.
"Scare him?" Denzel turned to look at Cloud immediately. “Will you help me?”
“Me?” Cloud tried to smile too hard. “You think i could scare pops?”
“Yeah!” Denzel was bouncing on his feet. “Cause you’re sneaky.”
“Sneaky!” Cloud couldn’t hide his grin. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“Sure you don’t, brat.” Cid said, walking towards them in a jacket that Cloud was almost certain belonged to Vincent. “What are you supposed to be?”
Cloud just put a hand on his hip and parroted back. “What are you supposed to be?”
Vincent turned away, a hand covering his mouth as soft laughter slipped passed.
“Oh sure, think you’re real cute, don’tcha?” Cid actually smirked.
“I have my moments.” Cloud agreed, pausing to help Denzel break up the large candy bar so he could have a piece. He’d have to take it away before too long. Mama had always said just a little at a time.
Cid actually laughed. “What about you, huh? You gonna take a trip through the maze too?”
“You gotta!” Denzel said, shoving the piece of chocolate in his mouth. “It’s so much fun! You gotta! I’ll show you the way!”
Cloud smile went soft a little too fast. “Yeah, okay. We have to think of a way to scare Cid anyway.”
“Do what now?” Cid raised a brow.
“Nothing, old man!” Cloud laughed, letting Denzel pull him back to the start of the little maze. He could already spot at least one of the crew crouching by the second turn. Even knowing he was there, this was oddly thrilling.
Cid just snorted. “You can try brat. Try to be a little authentic would you?” he added, handing Cloud another unlit cigarette.
He laughed. “Thanks.”
“Get going then. Hey!” Cid growled when Vincent stole the whole carton of cigarettes from his pocket.
“I’ll just hold onto these.” Vincent frowned at him, snatching the one Cloud held again too.
“Hey, it’s for my costume.” Cloud tried to pout but he couldn’t help his smile.
“Go on.” Vincent waved them towards the mouth of the maze.
"Okay, okay."
“I membered the way!” Denzel laughed, pulling Cloud along, and screaming at the second turn at the sudden jump scare.
Cloud didn’t know if Denzel would remember this bit of fun and kindness when he was older, but Cloud was sure he would.