Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The sky was a mix of pearly pinks and pale blues when Cloud finally managed to jump on his pastel motor bike and rev up the engine. He was pretty sure his shirt may have been on backwards, and his sandals didn’t look like they would survive much longer, but it was an autumn morning like never before, and that was more than could be said of a lot of his mornings. Late or not, he was going to make it Seventh Heaven before the sun had risen. 

Trees blurred by, bubbly and cartoonish in the glow of his goggles, their green leaves tinged orange and yellow. Cloud almost didn’t realize he had allowed his foot to fall leaden on the accelerator turning his surroundings into mere streaks of colour- a painting he was speeding by too fast to admire. It didn’t matter, he drove this path nearly every morning. After whipping through the little traffic there was, Cloud came to a painfully slow stop, parked, and shook his hair out with unnecessary force. 

Seventh Heaven was a cafe nestled on the very outskirts of Midgar- a place cradled by white birch trees and enough flowers to satiate any green thumbed enthusiast. The smell of maple and coffee could be caught by even in passing, and a threateningly tall stack of buttermilk pancakes could be seen through the only uncovered window. While they had started out with plenty of good windows for advertising, most had been consumed by a thick swath of leafy green ivy no one could seem to get rid of. Even Aerith, their hired florist, couldn’t seem to rid them of the pesky plant, not that she had tried very hard very hard in the first place. 

“Cloud!” Denzel cried, running down the cobbled stone path that led to the parking lot. He wore down those stones every morning just to give Cloud a special greeting every time he arrived. The blonde couldn’t help the small smile that came to his lips. “Tifa says you’re late! Again!”

“A delivery man is never late,” Cloud corrected, leaning effortlessly against his bike. “I got here exactly when I intended to be--”

“You intended to be late?!” Barret shouted, from the front door his well muscled arms housing at least four trays of coffee. Cloud felt his hand slip off the handle of the scooter and nearly lost his balance. He immediately looked to Denzel who caught his wide-eyed gaze and covered his mouth with his hands as if he was trying to stifle his laughter. Cloud had intended to give the boy a well timed grin, but Barret was filling his arms with coffee before he even had a chance to blink twice. “I’m not gonna let this one slide, you hear me delivery boy?!”

“I slept well, thanks for asking,” Cloud murmured as he began securing the cupholders into his bag. Denzel hurried around Barret to help him, his own helmet already clasped firmly in his hand. “So, who ordered forty cups of coffee before six?”

“Your favourite,” he responded, his arms crossed and frown genuine. While Barret was usually a gruff sort of person, Cloud had known him long enough to differentiate between his mood swings, and at this moment he was actually irritated. Sarcasm from Barret was a rare occurrence considering the man often didn’t understand it himself.  “Shinra HQ ordered all o’ these, and before you ask, they’ve gotta be delivered directly to the top floor. SOLDIER’s quarters or somethin’.”

Cloud rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. Shinra was the current culmination of everything anyone might desire in Midgar: success, power, and wealth -lots of it. Most of the fat cats that paraded about the highest floor of their absurdly large corporation weren't the problem, but the Shinra family, the founder that was, wasn't satiated just being a millionaire and owning half of Midgar. He needed more. So he had decided to create his own super-powered militia- all for the 'official purpose' of protecting the people. It was the usual load of political bullcrap. 

Barret, the founder of Seventh Heaven, and Cid, their local supplier, had taken it upon themselves to uncover the mysteries of Shinra by creating enough conspiracies to put most theorists to shame. When Cloud had told them President Shinra wasn't likely implanting babies with alien cells, neither had laughed. They had looked him grimly in the eye like he was Denzel's age. In Cloud's opinion, creating a private army sounded like typical tyrant behaviour, but like most nefarious politicians, Shinra was sure to have its layers of deviousness. There wasn’t much that could be done about it. 

That being said, both Barret and Tifa were avid anti-Shinra protesters, and as a result, Cloud had been at the forefront of many of the vocal outcries that had occurred over the years. Seventh Heaven was practically an established anti-Shinra cafe. It had to be a little odd to receive an order from their unsaid enemy.

"Cloud, I've packed all the cups, are we ready to head out?"

Cloud gave Barret one last questioning look, received a shrug in response, and slipped onto his bike. 

"Your helmet?" When Cloud received an affirmation from behind him, he started up his engine for what was sure to be a long trip. "Hang on tight."

Denzel clutched his waist and they were off. 

By the time Cloud had managed to gain access to the building, it was twenty minutes past six, and he was about at his wit's end regarding Shinra and their safety policies. Parking, breathing, and entry through the front door were not common access things in Shinra HQ. Obviously, premium commodities like that were not for mere delivery men, those were reserved specifically for Shinra’s upper class. Really, the security was so tight, Cloud thought it might be time he revised his alien baby opinion. Maybe Barret and Cid had been right, not that he would verbally communicate that to them. Regardless of aliens, it didn't matter; no matter how nice their polished marble floors were, no matter how sleek their glass paneled walls gleamed, none of it would faze him.

"Excuse me sir, loitering in the lobby is strictly prohibited," a petite woman said, her orange hair pinned tightly and smile tight. She was standing behind the front desk eyeing them like they were bugs on the floor. 

Cloud finally tore his gaze from the massive chandelier that, in his defence, had begun looking at him first, and walked forward, attempting to keep his gaze straight ahead. Denzel latched onto his hand nervously, squeezing to try and catch his attention.

"Mornin', I actually have a delivery for a 'Gen. Seph','' Cloud recited, pocketing the receipt- his customer service skills possessing him to sound somewhat pleasant and at least half genuine. The woman narrowed her eyes at him, disbelieving. Cloud felt the sudden need to squeeze Denzel’s hand back. “Would you prefer I leave the coffees here with you, or…?”

“Cloud,” Denzel whispered, tugging on his sleeve discreetly. “Uncle Barret said we have to deliver it directly upstairs.”

Cloud gave the boy a half-shrug and a weary smile, hoping to communicate how much he wanted to be done with this particular delivery, but Denzel simply looked upwards at him, his eyes innocent and unknowing. 

After an excruciating thirty seconds of the women clicking away on her analog phone and speaking in a tone too fast and hushed for Cloud to pick up on, she returned their gaze, her fake smile back on in full force. Cloud almost wanted to wince. 

“Thank you so much for your patience. General Sephiroth’s office can be found on the 66th floor,” In one swift motion, the woman bent down and handed him a Shinra lanyard with an ordinary plastic card. “Using this in the elevator will grant you access to the 66th floor. Make sure to return it to the lobby on that floor when you're finished.”

“I can do that,” Cloud replied, setting his second bag of coffees on the floor to retrieve the lanyard. “Thanks.”

With her piece officially said, the woman turned her attention back to her screen, once again ignoring them.

“So we get to ride in the glass elevator?” Denzel asked, his elation poorly hidden. “And we get to meet General Sephiroth? The one that's on TV?”

Cloud hummed in acknowledgement, his coffee bags suddenly far heavier than they had been. General Sephiroth was someone everyone in Midgar knew about, whether they wanted to or not. It wasn’t because the guy was a do-gooder, or a hero, even though the media often like to frame it that way, no, it was because the entire city was plastered with the man’s gods forsaken face. Need reliable hair products? Is your car broken down? Is your business failing? General Sephiroth can help you- as long as you’re willing to pay the rest of your life’s worth for it. The man was a marketing nightmare that no one could escape, and to top it off, he was the leading General of Shinra’s super human soldiers. He was practically the kind of person you never wanted to meet. That was at least, Cloud’s humble opinion.

“Yeah yeah, I mean, I don’t think there were two people that decided to name their kid something like ‘Sephiroth’, so yeah,” Cloud coughed, suddenly self-conscious of how many times he had repeated the same word. He stepped into the elevator stiffly, and scanned the lanyard, hoping the younger boy didn’t catch onto his nerves. “Must be the same guy.”

“So I’m meeting the guy Marlene has a doll of? She’s gonna be so jealous!” Denzel exclaimed, suddenly ecstatic in the enclosed space. Cloud could only give a dry laugh at that, his foot tapping in rhythm to the awful elevator music that had started. Sixty-six floors was a long way up, and now that his catastrophic thoughts were coming in clearly, there was no way the General would order coffee from Seventh Heaven. Was this some secret plot to ensure they never peacefully protested again? “Cloud? Are you okay? You look, uh, a little bit…”

“I’m just hungry, that's it,” Cloud assured the boy, stepping out of the elevator as soon as the door opened. Denzel followed after him hurriedly, his tiny hand reaching to clasp onto Cloud’s once again. “After this, we should grab something.”

Denzel glanced up at him, somewhat nervously, and nodded, finally matching his pace. 

“I’ve got a coffee delivery for General Sephiroth,” Cloud said, slowing his pace as he neared the receptionist. As if five bags of coffee weren’t enough to give anyone the slightest idea as to what he was doing. 

“Last door on your left,” the man responded, his voice wavering. “Oh, and, try to be here on time tomorrow. the General is a nightmare with his coffee, but without…” 

The man sighed and covered his face with his hands, stifling what sounded like a sob. 

 Cloud turned and gave Denzel a look, to which the boy responded in turn, his own eyebrows high on his forehead. 

“We probably shouldn’t ask for a photo then,” Cloud joked, making his way down the hallway at a varying speed. He couldn’t tell if he was loathing the moment that was about to occur, or if he wanted it done and over with. 

“You were going to ask for a picture?”

“So we could show it to Marlene,” Cloud explained, stopping in front of the last door on the left.  Before Denzel could react, a loud voice sounded from within the room.

“Enter.”

Cloud shared one last withering look with the younger boy and pushed the door open, his best customer service smile locked onto his face with the will of Gaia alone. 

“Hi, thank you for ordering from Strife Delivery service, where we provide service with a smile-”

“You were twenty five minutes late.” The man deadpanned, rising from his seat. Cloud genuinely wished he had remained seated behind his desk because while he was accustomed to walking into sixty-inch billboards of the General, he was not used to tilting his head back just to make painfully, direct eye contact with him. General Sephiroth was not like his billboards, Cloud decided. Not in real life. 

Seeing the man in real time was more similar to walking into a starved Malboro cave, only the stench was very strong cologne, and the Malboro didn’t have tentacles, it had a mass of very long, silver hair. Maybe, it really wasn’t that much like a Malboro encounter, but boy did Cloud feel threatened. 

“Just to confirm your order that was thirty six cups of Moogle’s marshmallow mocha, and four bottles of Banora white--”

Denzel hiccuped and suddenly the General’s attention turned to him, his green eyes sharp, piercing, and nearly inhuman. Cloud would be excited to tell Barret and Cid how wrong he was  once he returned back home with Denzel. And his life. 

“Is this child labour? Is Shinra truly allowing things like this to occur right here in the city?”

Denzel looked like he was on the verge of tears and Cloud finally felt his mind snap into place. He had dealt with rude customers before. The General being way too many feet tall and built enough to wrestle a behemoth didn't change one thing. Cloud took a protective step in front of the boy and willed the muscles on his face to keep smiling. 

“Yes sir, now will that be gil or ShinraPay?”

Sephiroth paused for a moment, as if he hadn’t expected Cloud to agree with him and crossed his arms, unfortunately giving both Cloud and Denzel a full view of his scantily-clad chest. What sort of company allowed two tiny leather straps as a shirt? Cloud almost wanted to cover Denzel’s eyes. 

“I was under the impression at least one black coffee was ordered,” he said, his brow lowering at an increasingly scary pace. Cloud did not want to admit that he felt a cold chill climb up his spine.

“If you’d like I can add that to your order and be back by seven…?”

“If you’re saying seven, it would actually be seven twenty, is that correct?” The man grumbled, his voice hitting a pitch that probably rivalled the depth of the Wutaian sea. Cloud could at least truthfully say he felt he was near drowning. Drowning in poorly contained anger. Had he gotten his incompetent secretary to order, or what? Of course the receipt was correct, whichever idiot had placed the order had done so online!

Instinctually, he nodded his head, his bangs flipping about dumbly. Denzel was squeezing his hand so hard it felt near ready to fall off. 

“Yeah, well, you can thank Shinra for whatever that nightmare security system is.”

The General narrowed his eyes at him as if Cloud had been speaking Chocobo instead of common, and leaned against his desk in an exhausted manner. Cloud pointedly did not mention that the desk looked as if it was screaming out against his weight, and instead focused his own energy on maintaining his aching smile. He was still smiling, wasn’t he?

With a few angry clicks, Sephiroth had pulled out his PHS and spoke clearly, his words pronounced like a death sentence. Cloud felt suddenly glad the General didn’t know his name. 

“Genesis and Zack to my office. Now .”

Chapter Text

Cloud heard the voices before he saw the two men enter. He was sure General Sephiroth heard them too, and for some reason couldn’t help but feel bad for the people outside. They had it coming to them, sure, but Cloud wouldn’t even send his worst enemies to the silver General. At least not on days when the man hadn’t been properly acquainted with his caffeine. 

“You did this to yourself Genesis! Don’t you dare bring me down with you! Angeal’ll--”

The door flew open with enough force to slam into the opposite wall and Cloud felt his own eye twitch as the tray of coffees he had set down on Sephiroth’s desk trembled. 

“Those don’t belong on my desk,” Sephiroth murmured, side-eyeing the blonde. Cloud returned the glare. 

“My friend, the fates are cruel! There are no dreams- no honour remains--”

“Would you get him to shut up?!” Zack exclaimed, running a hand through his dark, gelled hair. He looked like he was about to implode before his eyes met with Cloud’s, bright and familiar. “Spike and Denz? My best two buddies are here? What brought you two to Shinra Tower? Did Aerith send you?”

Cloud honestly found it funny that Zack, who had been clearly exasperated, changed his tune so quickly just upon seeing them, but he didn’t find a chance to return his greeting. They were apparently fighting to speak in the now crowded office, and he was still pretending to be polite. 

“And so Zackary attempts to steal the spotlight again. Sephiroth, dear, you must get this under control,” The red haired man - Genesis, Cloud assumed - flipped a bang out of his face dramatically and moved to put a calming hand on one of the General’s broad shoulders. Sephiroth looked at him like a wild animal, ready to tear the limb to shreds.

“When I asked you to order me a single black coffee, what part of that meant thirty six cups of swill and four bottles of wine?”

“Oh, he hasn’t had his coffee yet, has he?” Genesis muttered, a bead of sweat forming upon his brow. Cloud had thought that would be obvious by now, but apparently some people needed to be slapped in the face before they understood things.

“Shit,” Zack muttered before covering his mouth and giving Cloud an apologetic smile. He dropped his voice to a whisper, despite the fact that he was terrible at whispering and sidled up next to him. “He’s probably really mad right about now, Cloudy, if I were you, I’d ask the front desk for the money and get-”

“I am very angry, not at the delivery man, and not at Zack, but at you, Genesis . You, who knew better, but still failed,” Sephiroth lifted the man by the stylized collar of his jacket and Cloud felt his hands move to cover Denzel’s eyes unconsciously. “Who’s gil were you intending on using to pay for all this coffee?”

“Why Hojo’s of course,” Genesis laughed, still smirking despite his situation. Cloud felt he was near his own wit’s end with the circus act he was enduring. “Twenty four of those cups are for the science department.”

“The science department?” Sephiroth hissed. And Cloud knew that if this discussion was to go on any longer, he would be stuck here listening to the woes of the General, his secretary, and whatever department for the next two hours. 

“Alright, that's enough.” Cloud said, raising his voice above even the scarily increasing volume of Sephiroth’s baritone. It was a skill he had picked up arguing with Barret, Marlene, and Tifa simultaneously- and winning, not that that was an important distinction to make at the moment. Cloud was quiet most of the time, but that didn't mean he couldn't be loud when he needed to be. “I’ve been here for the past fifteen minutes arguing about coffee and what not. If none of you are paying, send me to who will, ‘cause unlike you, I don’t have hours to argue with my incompetent secretary-”

“I am not his secretary!” Genesis squawked.

“Where is Hojo?” Cloud ordered, looking between the three men. Sephiroth’s eyes were so wide, he looked more like a kitten than a general who had actual battles under his belt. 

“He-he’s on the 68th floor,” Zack said, gently opening the door for them to go through. Cloud distinctly eyed the tray he had left on Sephiroth’s desk, and walked out, Denzel still clutching his hand for dear life. “I’ll get’cha there, Cloud.”

The three walked in awkward silence for a moment before Zack couldn’t hold it in anymore. He wasn’t the type of person that could maintain silence for over fifteen seconds. 

“Long morning, Spike?”

“Really long morning,” Denzel nodded, having recently reclaimed his voice. He looked a little bemused now, a nervous smile pulling at his lips. “The General is terrifying.”

Zack laughed at that, rubbing his neck sheepishly. 

“I’ve never seen him make a face like that. Honestly, Cloud you’ve got guts of steel to shut two of Shinra’s generals up…”

“I haven’t had my coffee yet either,” Cloud murmured dejectedly, regret settling in the pit of his stomach. “Tifa’s gonna kill me for back-talking a customer like that. Especially a high-profile one.”

Denzel squeezed his hand, silently sympathetic. 

“Nobody is scarier than Tifa.”

The science department was on the 68th floor, as Zack had kindly explained a few minutes before and apparently had tighter security measures than anywhere else in the building. Cloud had to be pat down and scanned before entering- and Denzel had to stay behind with Zack since you had to be eighteen years or older to even enter the floor. After Cloud assured them he would be fine, Zack had decided to head back to his own office and buy Denzel something from the cafeteria. Cloud only felt their loss when he found himself clutching his coffee bag completely alone. 

The 68th floor no longer looked like it was housed within an industrial building- it looked more like he had walked straight into some sci-fi horror story that featured him as the unfortunate protagonist. Cloud didn’t even want to entertain more alien experimentation jokes. Things were hitting a little too close to home now. Men in white lab coats paced left and right, their eyes trained on the unlucky specimens that floated about in the numerous tanks that were tied to the walls with twisted tubing. Cloud blinked as he recognized a few animals and forced himself to take a hesitant step forward. 

“I have a, uh, coffee delivery…?” He tried, realizing there was no receptionist on this particular floor. He blinked around a bit before an overly familiar arm wrapped around his shoulder and made him freeze. The person kept walking forward, practically dragging him along. 

“So you’re the anti-Shinra runt who matched all the specs I needed…” The man laughed, and Cloud finally felt his nerves peak. He wasn’t sure what was going to happen, but it hadn’t been a coincidence for him to show up at Shinra HQ today. His worries had actually been grounded. “Young and spritely too… I’m gonna get great results from you, kiddo.”

“Hojo?!” Cloud yelled, shoving against the man while trying to catch a glimpse of his face. When two armoured men approached him, he slowly felt his chances of escape narrow and he thrashed even harder. 

“ Dr . Hollander, actually,” the man corrected, finally releasing him into the hold of the two larger men. Cloud elbowed one in the abdomen and pushed against their hold only to bruise himself. He glowered at the scientist, his bags of coffee nearly forgotten. “Tell me, ‘Cloud Strife’, have you ever wanted to change the world?”

“I’m gonna change your world if you don’t let me go-” Cloud threatened even as he watched Hollander near him with a suspiciously large needle. He thrashed hopelessly one last time, his heart hammering painfully against his ribs.

“Great last words, Mr. Slight- that was his name, wasn’t it, Kunsel?”

“Strife, sir,” one of the armoured men corrected. 

Cloud felt a scream tear at his throat as soon as the needle pricked his skin. He wasn’t going to wake up from this.

Chapter Text

Cloud woke to a shiver crawling across his skin, cold and exposed. Considering he hadn’t expected to wake up at all, his consciousness came as something of a pleasant surprise for him.

“I’m… alive?” His voice felt faint in his scratchy throat almost as if he had been shouting for hours previously. Cloud couldn’t remember much from before, only that he had screamed at a general and been kidnapped by a scientist. Busy morning didn’t even begin to cover it.

“Most corpses don’t speak, so I suppose you must be,” A quiet, husky voice murmured, catching Cloud’s attention. He sat up immediately, a strong ache tearing through his limbs at the movement.

Before him was a large looking lion, or maybe it was a wolf with red fur and beaded accessories. Cloud thought for a second the wolf might have been side-eyeing him, but the cat- no dog, clearly just had a grumpy resting face.

“Who said that?” Cloud asked, glancing further around in his glass cage. It seemed he hadn’t been transported far from the 68th floor. The general area still seemed to keep with the theme of creepy tanks and foul smelling air. The only difference was that all his belongings had been taken from him and his previous attire had been replaced with a papery, thin hospital gown that felt loose in all the wrong places. He shivered again, rubbing at his aching arms. “We’ve gotta find a way out of here…”

“If you have an idea as to how to actually do that, I’m listening,” The low voice said again, and this time Cloud was sure it had come in the direction of the animal. He turned his brow creased and arms crossed. 

“You… talk?” 

“Only as much as needed. Didn’t you mention you had an idea?” The wolf said, his tail twitching back and forth, a live flame flickering at its end. Cloud physically had to keep himself from jumping at the light. “When the scientist comes back we shouldn’t be here.”

Cloud grimaced, too tired to really examine the fact he was currently talking with an animal. What was more believable: that he had been kidnapped and possibly lost twenty-five years of his life, or that he was talking to a dog that looked like a cat? 

“What did he even want with us? Not sure what your day job is, but I’m just a normal delivery man,” He muttered, bringing a hand to scratch at his head. His hand brushed against something softer than his hair and he paused, twitching his ear in response to his fingers. His ears were not supposed to be that high on his head. “Is there something on my head?” 

“Ears,” the lion shrugged, stretching out his paws nonchalantly- as if every human he came in contact with had ears on the top of their head. He crossed his paws then and blinked somewhat sleepily. Definitely cat-like behaviour. “You also have a tail, if you were curious.”

Cloud felt his eyes bulge and turned in circles ridiculously trying to catch sight of his new appendage. He heard the lion snicker before he turned and glared. 

“I didn’t have these before I woke up, okay?”

With a loud crash, another creature fell into their glass cage from above, leaving a smoking hole near the top where he had come in from. This one looked distinctly like a cat with its fuzzy black ears and winding tail. 

“There goes one of my nine lives…” The small creature groaned, his gloved hands blackened with soot. Cloud approached with the same hesitant interest his furry companion did. With a pop, the small cat righted itself and spun around greeting them with a cute smile unbefitting of something that had just been on the verge of an explosion. “Alright then laddies, if I could just have you follow me right back up this hole I’ve made for us-”

"Don't need to ask us twice," The blonde replied. 

Between the scientists and the cat, Cloud was pretty sure he had better chances of taking down the cat. He figured his four legged companion had come to the same conclusion, when he leapt out of the opening of the cage easily. Cloud followed suit, the pains in his body a mere memory. If anything, after stretching his limbs he felt more alive and focused than ever. 

“Now wait a second, just a second!” The small cat cried after them, hopping over to them with what looked like great difficulty. “I know you’ve had your fair share of bein’ caged today- I get that, but I need you to come with me. I can at least get you out of the building nice and safe that way.”

Cloud glowered at the cat, clenching and unclenching his fists. It looked like his nails had grown into something more akin to claws too. He almost felt afraid to look in a mirror. 

“Just so you know, me and,” Cloud motioned over to the red lion expectantly.

 “Call me whatever you like,” The animal murmured, watching the interaction keenly. When Cloud shook his head, he sighed and inched forward, somewhat hesitant. “You can call me Red if you can’t think of anything else.”

“Me and Red’ll beat you seven ways to Sunday and back. Don't try anything,” Cloud said, cracking his knuckles for emphasis. In truth, he hadn’t really ever gone out of his way to harm another living creature, but after coming to Shinra something in him had changed. He was more than willing to find out what that change exactly instituted. 

“O-Of course!” The little cat murmured, standing straight as a rod, his narrowed eyes less humorous despite the fact they couldn’t seem to escape their amused expression. 

“Threats are unnecessary,” Red murmured beside him, his tail once again flicking from side to side. Cloud finally realized the wolf only had a single amber eye, large and reflective. The other had a large wound cutting through it, scarred and gnarled. It must have happened when he was just a kitty. 

“That whole business with your name was unnecessary,” Cloud replied, sniffing at the air. He was almost positive he could smell Hollander’s stench somewhere far off- who else smelled like cyanide and decaying flesh? They needed to get a move on sooner rather than later. “Names are important. They stand for who you are.”

Red eyed him carefully for a moment, as if he was really seeing him for the first time and then sniffed at the air himself, strength a clear thing in his stance. 

“You’ve still failed to mention your own, human.”

Cloud choked out a cough, and rubbed his neck feeling dumb. 

“Cloud.”

“Cloud and Red, then. Great names, really! I go by Cait Sith if either of you were wondering,” The small cat said, unabashedly admitting he had eavesdropped on their entire conversation. Cloud felt the habit might be problematic sometime in the near future, but didn’t focus on it. “We’ll get better acquainted in the vents then?”

“Don’t have much of a choice right now,” The blonde shrugged, silently mourning the loss of his PHS. It wasn’t like he used it too much anyway, but he liked having the comforting weight in his pocket.

Chapter Text

Shinra's vents were large, but sharing them with a child-sized animatronic cat and a full grown lion made him realize that large vents were not the necessary size arrangement for their party of three. Red's tail had slapped Cloud in the face at least three times now, and it was definitely a real fire that burned on the end of that thing. 

“Just one more right, and we’ll have made it to my office,” Cait Sith informed them, his voice echoing against the metal loudly. 

“Put your damn megaphone away in the vents,” Cloud hissed, shaking his head. It was very apparent that this was the robot’s first rescue mission. 

The small cat looked back nervously, storing the giant megaphone somewhere out of sight. 

Red very distinctly flattened his ears against his head in distaste, and Cloud nearly sighed if not for the response directly from the open vent he was crossing over. 

“What was that voice?” General Sephiorth demanded from below. He surprisingly sounded less annoyed than the time Cloud had heard him last. He must have enjoyed that Marshmallow Moogle Mocha. 

Red and Cloud shared a brief look before they both began crawling with intensified speed.

“Did the science department let something loose in the vents again?” Zack’s voice asked, painfully near. 

Cloud had to physically keep himself from looking down to see if poor Denzel was with the man. Zack was a trustworthy friend no doubt, but he had the unfortunate habit of being slightly air-headed sometimes. If something had happened to Denzel in Cloud’s absence, he might have to burn the entirety of Shinra down in one fell swoop.

Before the conversation concluded, Cloud tumbled out of the vent, landing directly on his feet and into a lowly lit, cluttered space. It was an office he realized- a disorganized one where teetering stacks of papers stood taller than him, and the low hum of technology buzzed through the room more alive than Cloud felt. Large screens displaying different rooms within Shinra HQ hung on the walls, their screens bright and fuzzy. A camera pointing directly to their abandoned cage back on the 68th floor stood out; Hollander was pacing, throwing a fit on the screen. Thank goodness there was no audio. Glancing at the other screens, Cloud couldn’t help but get the feeling that this didn’t really look like footage from official cameras. 

Red stood a few steps away from the opening, his hackles raised and eyes skirting about. Cait Sith was nowhere in sight. 

“Well, you brought us here, no use hiding now,” Cloud said aloud, attempting to peek behind stacks of files and books to no avail.

With a slow turn, a large swivel chair Cloud had overlooked spun to face them, carrying a bearded man wearing a slightly worn suit. In his lap was the robotic cat, stretched out despite its anthropomorphic design. It was odd to say the least.

“I suppose I should start with introducing myself,” The man said, moving to stand. Cait Sith jumped deftly off his lap and moved to curl up in a corner some distance away, completely silent. The man reached out his hand. “I’m Reeve Tuesti, Head of Urban Development here at Shinra Cor. and, while it's less commonly known, also head of Shinra’s Environmental Protection Administration.”

Cloud blinked once, as did Red who had yet to leave his combat stance. 

“I understand that both of you are in a state of fear, and I want to assure you after I finish talking with you, I will personally escort you both to your respective homes… I just ask that you hear me out before you return. Would that be alright?”

“You have ten minutes: five for saying whatever you want to say and five for answering our questions,” Cloud said, crossing his arms. A quick glance at Red told Cloud the wolf was somewhat in agreement with his demand.

“Of course!” Reeve agreed readily, sitting down. He motioned for them to sit, but neither Cloud nor Red took his invitation. After an awkward second, the man cleared his throat and folded his hands. “You both were brought here on the order of one of Shinra’s most notorious scientists: Dr. Hollander. You, Red, were chosen because of the rarity and longevity of your species. Being the last of your kind makes you highly prized in all the wrong ways, unfortunately.”

Red scoffed, his eye lowered as if it wasn’t the first time he had heard such news. Cloud wanted to pat his head for semblance of comfort, but decided against it. 

“Plenty of humans around,” He commented instead, raising a sharp blonde brow. 

“Yes, however there are not many humans with your exact genetic structure, Cloud,” Reeve said, regret in his eyes. “Hollander has begun an experiment where he is attempting to ‘revive’ endangered species by combining a few choice animal genes with compatible humans. You are the result of his first experiment and have been injected with Nibel wolf genes.” 

Before Cloud could lament over his newfound self, Red looked up, his tone serious.

“What is Hollander planning to do with all these genetically altered humans?”

Reeve stood, apparently unable to remain seated for long and began pacing, his hands moving in time with his explanation in order to further it. His gestures distinctly reminded Cloud of Tifa whenever she was trying to teach Marlene about something. 

“The Mako Metamorphosis Project, as he calls it, was initially just supposed to rival Dr. Hojo’s Jenova Project- which essentially means he was trying to create his own super powered humans, but recently things have gotten so out of hand I’ve decided to step in for the sake of the General public. But for me to do that successfully, I’ll need your help. Both of you.”

“And what does that entail?” Cloud asked, frowning. He had a feeling he knew exactly where a proposition of this type was going. 

“Shinra’s tactic to stay in power is fear: they create the monsters as well as the means to stop the monsters. The monsters everyone fears are genetically mutated animals that the science department releases and its Shinra’s Elite that go and tear them down. They’re painting themselves as heroes at the cost of innocent life.”

“We wouldn’t be able to save those animals either,” Red replied grimly. “We may be enhanced, but there's only so much we would be able to do against them.”

Reeve stopped walking suddenly, something of a determined look furrowing his brow and thinning his lips. He stared them straight on, his hands suddenly folded behind his back.

“That's where Cait Sith and I come in. I’ve designed mako-powered suits for both of you- and your future comrades - that allow you to wield magic and use your given abilities to their highest potential. With my suits and weapons, saving those animals would be a simple task that benefits society, the planet, and of course your personal lives.”

“Said like a true salesman,” Cloud muttered, scratching his head and then glancing back up. “Wait, what do you mean, ‘future comrades’?”

“Well, I figured it would be pretty difficult to try something like this with just two people, so I borrowed some of Hollander’s injections and added it into one of my materia fusion projects to create two different materia. The first person to use either of these materia will be blessed with the given animal’s enhancements. They won’t have to endure the experimentation you, Cloud, underwent and will still be able to harness the power of the given animal.”

Cloud nodded, no longer looking at him, but at the single, cleared window in Reeve’s office. He had started today thinking he would be delivering coffee and cakes for the next few years of his life. He had never expected to be recruited for a rogue military ploy against the largest corporation known to Midgar. And the truth was, if he and Red weren’t up for it, Reeve could only hope he found two others that could receive his materia and carry out his goals. Someone had to do it. Someone that might not necessarily be enhanced.

“I need time to think,” Red said, looking shiftily to each of the corners of the office. He didn’t seem put off by the idea, but he didn’t seem willing either. 

“Of course,” Reeve agreed, bending down to grab a hold of a box near the foot of his desk. He placed it into Cloud’s hands. “These are your belongings, and my business card. I also went ahead and left both of your charms in here- just in case you run into any monsters and want to try out transforming. I’ll send Cait Sith in a few days to check up on you two.”

“And if I decide to return to Cosmo Canyon?” Red asked, his tail flicking back and forth. 

“I’ll bring a carrier jet with me.”

Chapter Text

CHAPTER V: Encounter

After changing back into his normal attire, Cloud sent Zack a quick text to meet him in the parking lot and took a short detour through a second story window out to the parking lot with Red following closely behind him. Neither one of them wanted to take the elevator and waste any more time in Shinra HQ. A few seconds after his text was sent, his PHS rang.

“Spike! It's been four hours since you said you were gonna deliver that coffee! Where’ve you been?!” Zack bellowed on the other side of the PHS. Cloud had to rip the phone away from his sensitive ears and hide his wince. He had always known Zack was loud, but his enhancements revealed that on a whole other level. “Cloud, you’ve better got a good explanation for this, I’ve had to call Tifa and everything!”

“I was…” Cloud glanced at Red who gave his cat equivalent to a shrug. Seemed like he was being as helpful as he couldn’t be. “There was a guy holding up the toilet, said he needed a digestive or something…”

“What the hell?” Zack’s voice cut out for a second and Cloud found himself sniffing at the air. There was something acrid blowing by, it smelled like acid and bile. The ground shook then, sudden and violent as if the planet itself was quivering. Cloud felt his steps slowing down as he neared his parking place… Or at least what had been the parking lot. In the few short hours he had been gone it seemed to have welcomed a lot more than just parked vehicles. 

Ahead was a monster half the size of Shinra Corporation, its form swollen and bloated so  severely, Cloud didn’t think he would be able to identify its original species. Saliva dripped from its mouth, acidic and clearly dangerous.  That must have been what was emitting that awful smell. The creature was breathing fiercely, its attention focused solely on a tiny form below him- the form of a child, he realized. 

“Zack, Denzel’s with you, isn’t he?”

“What-? Oh, uh, about that-” Zack stuttered on the line and this time Cloud was sure it didn’t have to do with any physical disturbances.

“Answer the question, Zack. Is Denzel with you?” Cloud reiterated, his tone growing increasingly anxious. He felt Red glancing over at him, a question evidently on his mind, but Cloud couldn’t afford to slow his pace.

“No Cloud, he isn’t. I’m--”

Cloud snapped his PHS shut and was about to start running towards them until Red grabbed ahold of his pant leg.

“Wait, if you’re going to approach that monster you should be ready for a fight,” The lion instructed, his eye alight. Cloud blinked at him for a moment before he realized the meaning behind his words: the charmed dice Reeve had given them. They would have better odds equipped with magic and whatnot.

“You think the science department sent this thing after us?” Cloud asked, rolling the dice within his hand. Just as Reeve had said, double sevens peered back up at him. “What did he say the key words were? Mako magic, no, mako mutation?”

“Mako Metamorphosis,” Red corrected, and within half a second of Cloud repeating the incantation, a ripple of green magic danced around them, glittering and alive in a way Cloud couldn’t describe.

It was the life stream, he realized, swirling around him and caressing his skin as gentle as a breath. Where the magic touched, armor remained- clothes conjured from the planet itself. He felt like the planet’s guardian while he was covered in her blessing. It made him feel chosen, as if he specifically had been selected to protect Her creatures. Surrounded by the green mist, he almost bought into the feeling. Strangled emotion tore from his throat then, and Cloud couldn’t help but indulge himself, tossing his head back and releasing a loud howl. 

When Red glanced at him, Cloud swore he was laughing under his breath and felt his cheeks redden significantly. That had been embarrassing though apparently not as much as his new outfit .

He was dressed almost wholly in purple material- something elastic and rough against his fingers. His shirt was sleeveless and clung to his skin before tapering off around his hips, exposing a fair amount of his midriff. Long gloves covered his arms, cutting off right below his shoulder and enough belts hung around his waist to allow Cloud a variety of potions and weapons to pull from. His boots were the only unacceptable part of the outfit, coming up nearly to his thighs with enough heel to make him feel insecure.

Had Reeve designed these before or after he had met Cloud?

Ignoring that thought, he dashed forward with a speed he didn’t know he possessed, and came before Denzel in a single heartbeat. He grabbed the boy and jumped back to create distance between himself and the slobbering monster. 

Red thankfully dashed forward and transformed himself, keeping the attention of the beast while Cloud took a moment back to console the boy.

Red no longer appeared to be a red lion after having transformed, instead he was barely visible after his transformation, his form shifting in and out of the shadows like a silhouette. The only thing Cloud could discern was the ringing sound of a bell and the muted sound of rushed breaths; even the flickering of his tail had grown more diminutive, like a shadowed spark rather than a flame which glowed blue instead of its usual red.

“Denzel, you okay?” Cloud pulled the little boy from his chest and examined him hastily, his eyes drawing over his tear-drenched face down to his poorly tied shoes. That was the last time he let Zack babysit. 

Denzel glanced up at him, his eyes still frightfully watery and bottom lip quivering. 

“Are you a hero? My dad went missing earlier, and- and,” Denzel sniffled loudly and a few large tears slipped down his cheeks, falling onto Cloud’s pants. “Tifa’s gonna cry if he’s gone! Uncle Barret too!”

“Denzel it's me,” Cloud began, releasing his hold on the boy to touch his own face, at his ears. The magic suit Reeve had created had indeed covered his upper face with a mask- something he assumed improved his already enhanced eyesight, and also hid his identity. “It's Cloud. I know I look slightly different-”

“But your hair is long, and you have ears,” Denzel blinked and then moved to look at his back as if there was something wrong with that side of him too. “And you’ve got a tail and-”

“Listen to me, Denzel, I need you to hide until I’ve gotten that monster taken care of. Then we can talk about the hair and ears and stuff…” Cloud murmured, holding the boy by his shoulders. His tears had mostly stopped, and he looked more determined to listen to what Cloud had to say. Kids were almost always scarily trusting. “Don’t say a word until I come back, okay?”

“I promise I won’t!” Denzel cried, nodding his head. Cloud gave him a soft smile and one last reassuring pat before turning back to the monster.

Red was undoubtedly having a hard time holding its attention for long. Where the cat was quick and lithe, the monster made up for its lack of speed with the sheer breadth of its size. With one massive swipe of its clawed hand, Red went skittering across the pavement. The lion struggled to rise this time, his current stamina spent. Cloud took the chance to enter the fray himself, his heart beating madly in his chest. 

“Patch yourself up, I’ve got you covered!” he yelled, dashing past Red and up onto the monster’s back. He didn’t know what possessed him to go up its spiked back, but it seemed smarter than dashing about in its fanged face. In his haste he pulled at the scabbard on his hip, drawing a massive blade of ice that shimmered silver in the sunlight and fit in his hand like an old friend. At the sight of it, Cloud felt his heart swell with confidence and swung the blade downward, cutting into the beast with strength he didn’t know he possessed. 

The monster howled at the sudden wound, shaking itself back and forth. Even despite Cloud’s best efforts to cling to the hilt of his sword, he was dislodged forcefully; both he and his sword were tossed into a nearby tree, snapping branches and what felt like most of his limbs plus his new tail. 

The monster roared, clearly infuriated and jumped toward the tree with newfound agility. Red growled threateningly, nearby, but completely out of Cloud’s line of sight. The blonde struggled for a moment, attempting to right himself and his massively entangled sword, failed, and fell onto the concrete disarmed. 

“First time in real combat?” Red asked, nudging him to his feet. Cloud might have been imagining it, having been flung into a tree and all, but Red looked slightly amused as if he found the whole situation slightly funny. 

“What gave me away?” Cloud replied back dryly, as he rolled out of the way of the beast’s clawed hand. It seemed to have gotten faster with the injury… That wasn’t how things were supposed to work. “Was it the tree, or the sword?”

Red leapt forward, nipping at the monster’s hooved feet as Cloud struggled to pull his sword from the branches. For having wolf-like reflexes he felt as clumsy as Cid did when asked to style Marlene’s hair. Abandoning the weapon, Cloud pulled at another of his belts and tore a materia out violently. It glowed brightly in his hand, shards of ice glittering within its core.

“Blizzaga Bark!” Cloud shouted, the words appearing on his tongue before he had thought anything through. A massive shard of ice climbed up the creature’s leathery skin, freezing its lower half in place. Cloud couldn’t stop the grin that came to his lips. “How’s that for a rookie?” 

Before Red had a chance to respond, a familiar voice rang out, making Cloud’s blood run colder than any Blizzaga could freeze. 

“What the-?!” Zack shouted from somewhere far beyond Cloud’s line of vision. “I need back up! Seph--”

“There's no reason to yell, Zack.” A deep voice responded. And this time Cloud could see the person it belonged to. 

General Sephiroth floated down on a pair of pristine black wings- his leather attire from before completely replaced by a suit of shining armour. Cloud had never seen one of Shinra’s Elite in action before, nor had he ever had any interest in watching them on television, but with the silver general fluttering down before him, he almost swore he could feel the man radiating heroism and beauty. Cloud felt inclined to give him a standing ovation just for flying down- maybe even ask for his autograph. The delusion passed quickly from his mind when the monster lunged at him, aggravated. His lower body was still frozen, but that didn’t stop him from trying to attack the blonde.

“That human doesn’t look like good news,” Red growled, his eye flaming with magic. Cloud gave a quick jerk of his head in acknowledgement. “I can enhance your strengths further, but only for a half a minute. Tell me when you’re ready- once I’ve done it, sever the poison from its spirit.”

Before he could affirm his plan, Sephiroth drew his own sword, a shining blade made of silver-white metal, that stretched across the horizon catching every glimmer of light. To be stabbed with a sword like that was almost positive death. Cloud had to protect the monster. Without thinking, he leapt upwards, pulling another blade from his arsenal: this one was thin and frigid, cold radiating from the hilt to the very curved edge of its blade. He wasn’t sure how it would hold up against the General’s mighty blade, but Cloud didn’t have time to second guess himself. 

Using the momentum of his jump, Cloud blocked Sephiroth’s oncoming attack with vigour, a mouthful of blood spurting out of him as he tried to mitigate the waves of force he was receiving. Forget his sword, if Cloud survived this it would be a damn miracle. Even the General himself seemed shocked Cloud had moved to intercept his attack- shocked that he hadn’t been sliced in half probably, or reduced to a miserable pile of bloody mush. 

“Who are you ?” The General demanded, finally pulling his blade back to his side, a snarl on his handsome face. Despite how divined he looked with his fluffy wings and shining hair, Cloud couldn’t help but recall his expression from his coffee delivery. Yup… He was just a normal asshole. Swords, armour, and wings didn’t change one thing. “Why are you standing in the way of me defeating this monster?”

“I’m trying to save its life!” Cloud growled, finally crumbling under the force before rolling to catch himself. His legs didn’t seem ready to bear his weight either and he ended up grabbing onto the frozen beast to support himself. Sephiroth quirked an eyebrow at him.

  “A monster can’t be saved-” The General began, his sword arm lowered. He really seemed as if he was trying to understand the blonde’s words, which was nice, but it also gave Cloud the exact opportunity he needed. His blizzaga wasn’t going to hold the monster in place forever after all.

“Red, now!” He called, brandishing his sword anew. Internally he felt near collapsing, and his arms felt nearly broken after having met Sephiroth’s blade head on, but this was the last thing he needed to do. He just had to power through.

A sharp howl pierced the air, causing both Zack and Sephiroth to cover their ears and wince. Cloud on the other hand, felt his ears prick forward and preened at the sound, a sense of strength and purpose filling his heart. Red’s howl would give him the last bit of strength he needed to finish this off. With multiple, flurried strikes over the chest of the animal, Cloud cut through the thickened hide of the beast and forced out the science department’s poison. A tiny green sprite no bigger than Cloud’s hand, floated out aimlessly, drifting left and right. The beast itself shrunk down to its normal size; apparently it had been a squirrel, and dashed away into the tree Cloud’s sword was still caught in.

“What…” Sephiroth staggered forward, looking more angered and confused than ever. His sword was suddenly drawn and pointed directly toward Cloud’s neck. “What just occurred?”

“You two did well for starters!” Cait Sith crooned, catching the floating green sprite in a cloth, red bag. “A little more of that, and you’ll be full-fledged heroes come the time for it!”

“What time is that?” Zack repeated, drawing his own sword. He blinked at Cloud for a second, before his attention seemed wholly consumed by Cait Sith. “Aren’t you on our side? Haven’t I seen you with the Turks?”

“That creature contains spy software,” Sephiroth declared, pointing his sword towards the cat with vengeance. Cloud wasn’t able to contain his laugh. “He’s been evading and tormenting the Science Department for weeks.”

By the time the General decided to fix him with his signature glare, Cloud had already revved up the engine to his motorbike and secured Red in his storage compartment. The last thing he needed to do was find Denzel and get on the road. A single sniff allowed him to know the boy was hiding out on the other side of Shinra’s mostly-intact line of bushes. He would grab him as soon as he got out of this god-awful parking lot.

“And where do you think you’re going?” The Silver General asked, his question fully implying they should not have moved even an inch from their initial positions. Cloud shrugged, as he secured his helmet.

“Home’s where the heart’s at, or so they say.”

Sephiroth looked at him ludicrously, his perfect, porcelain face finally cracking into sheer disbelief as Cloud saluted him and sped off, disappearing over the horizon. 

“I suppose I ‘oughta be on my way too,” Cait Sith lamented, giving a quick wave to both men. 

Sephiroth growled. 

“You’re in league with that-” Sephiroth paused, looking over his shoulder at Zack. 

“The cosplayer…?” Zack asked.

“With the blonde. You created this distraction purposefully.” Sephiroth finished, apparently unsatisfied with his answer. He pinned the cat with his gaze hatefully.

Zack looked slightly confused as to how Sephiroth had come to such a conclusion, but jumped toward the cat anyway, his brows furrowed. He missed as Cait Sith dodged narrowly out of his reach. 

“Toodle-loo!” Cait Sith wiggled his gloved fingers and hopped away, always just a step ahead.

Chapter Text

Cloud didn’t have the strength to do anymore deliveries. He felt exhausted, like he had been run over with Barret’s lawn mower one hundred times. Red seemed similarly drained, the flame at his tail diminished and his gait slowed and clumsy. Only Denzel seemed to have any energy, and he seemed to have a lot too. 

“Your tail and ears are gone, Cloud! And your hair is back to normal! Have you always secretly been a hero? Can I be one too? Did you use materia to get all those cool swords?”

Cloud ruffled Denzel’s hair in acknowledgement and struggled forward. What was he supposed to say to Tifa? She was either going to filet him, and name a dish after him or pulverize him and name a drink after him. If only Tifa had chosen something non-culinary as her calling, Cloud might have had a chance to survive.

“You have blood dripping down your arms,” Red informed him helpfully. 

“Damned general.” He murmured in response. Being thrown into a tree hadn’t felt great, but meeting one strike from Sephiroth had made him wish he was dead. He slid his jacket over his arms, wincing. Denzel looked up at him, finally sensing his mood, his large eyes wide and wary. The blonde blinked slowly, pushing into Seventh Heaven with a sigh. Even his fingers hurt. 

“Cloud?” Tifa asked, her voice as sweet as ever. She marched straight up to him, her warm eyes creased with worry, her arms crossed…Boy was he in for it now. “Where have you been? Zack called me and told me you were missing… I was so worried-”

Tifa eyed Red for a second and then pulled Denzel close, wiping at his cheeks before pulling him into a tight hug. Cloud didn’t miss the look she gave him, it was sharp and all knowing. He wasn’t going to be able to hide anything from her. Not for long anyways.

“What happened, sweetheart? Were you crying?”

“I’m fine,” Denzel murmured, pulling away from her to hide behind Cloud’s legs. The blonde took a large breath in through his nose and exhaled while looking around for movement. The cafe was surprisingly empty. Even Barret and Cid seemed to be nowhere in sight. 

“And who is this exactly?” Tifa asked, looking down at Red sweetly. Tifa always had an open heart for little kids and animals. She lifted up his head before scratching at his ears softly. 

Cloud sucked in a sharp breath and shrugged, still glancing up at the door as if he expected Shinra troops to come marching in any second.

“I got into an accident in Shinra’s building. This, uh, guy saved me,” he explained motioning towards Red with a tilt of his head. He still hadn’t decided whether he was more dog like or cat like so he simply left the distinction to Tifa. “His name is Red. He’s about as friendly as they come.”

Cloud pretended to miss Red’s eye roll, but Tifa, who saw all things, raised her eyebrows. 

“Your inn is very nice,” Red said, lowering his head. Cloud couldn’t determine if he was feeling bashful from Tifa’s pets, or if he was just being respectful. “Thank you for letting me stay.” 

“Oh! I, uhm,” Tifa looked toward Cloud for some explanation, but the blonde simply shifted from foot to foot, his eyes trained on Denzel. Denzel had put a very gentle, experimental hand on Red’s scruff and was brushing through his fur very slowly as if he was afraid the wolf might say something or run away. “It's very nice to meet you, Red.”

“Where’re Barret and Cid?” Cloud asked. He knew mid afternoon was about the time for Marlene’s nap, but it was also peak time for customers, and while Cid often got distracted, Barret never relinquished his responsibilities. 

“They’re out looking around for you Cloud- I closed early so I could go and look myself, and-”

Cloud looked up, meeting Tifa’s eyes for the first time since he had gotten back. She looked hurt; she hated when he kept things from her. It wasn’t his fault, Cloud just didn’t want to get her involved in such messy things.  

“And?” He prompted, lowering his own eyes, guilt coursing through him. He didn’t feel like it was a good idea to just go around spreading Reeve’s business when it could possibly incriminate the man. Not that Tifa wasn’t trustworthy- it was just that, well, maybe he wasn’t exactly ready to admit it himself. 

“And now you’re back, safe and whole…” Tifa murmured, fixing him with a stare. A questioning light danced in her reddish eyes and Cloud felt sweat accompany the blood dripping down his back. She wasn’t going to pat him down, was she? “So what exactly happened at-”

“If you’re closed for today, I’ll just go ahead and head home early,” Cloud blurted, unable to withstand her gaze. Red looked at him mildly, as if wasn’t surprised Cloud was marching straight towards the door and moved with him, silent as a shadow. They were able to make it within ten feet of their freedom when a loud, commanding voice stilled them. 

“Don't you dare!”

Cloud looked back, frozen in place by the command alone. The real monster had awakened, and his chance of escape had most certainly fallen straight to zero: Marlene stood at the top of the stairs, pouting, her hands on her hips. Barret had raised her with warmth and love aplenty, and with Tifa and Denzel around, the girl had never wanted for company… Unfortunately, growing up with Barret and Tifa also meant she had picked up a scarily strong sense of morality. And with her sharpened skills at the ready, she had no problem making out Cloud to be a villain. The worst part of that was she often felt the need to publicly declare her ‘grand epiphanies’. 

“Don’t you dare turn that door handle! You always leave and scare Tifa and me, and daddy, and then you don’t say anything!” Marlene cried, from atop the stairs, pointing at him with vindictive rage. She was still wearing her little night dress, as if she had yet to get up for the day. “And you!”

She fixed her stare at Denzel, who shrunk under the weight of her judgment. Tifa made no motion to stop her. 

“You just go along with him! I called you on your PHS one hundred times, Denzel! Why didn’t you answer me?!”

“I, uhm,” Denzel bit his lip, looking around with sudden nervousness before his shoulders fell, his voice cracking. “Cloud told me I couldn’t say a word!”

Cloud felt his eyes go round at his admission, displaying as much shock as Tifa and Marlene were facing him with. Of all the things Denzel could have said to that. Red snorted unhelpfully. Unfortunately, Cloud had said those words, but that had been when Sephiroth and a giant monster were prowling around! It had been for his safety!

“Why couldn’t he say anything, Cloud?” Tifa asked, her voice becoming serious. She pinned him with her stare the way a taxidermist pinned each limb of an insect; escape was as futile as a correct answer in this situation. 

Before Cloud had a chance to formulate even half of a coherent response, the door to the cafe flung open, nearly smacking the blonde in the face and leaving him with another bruise. 

“Hey! What the hell! We went lookin’ for ya, and the whole goddamned time you were just hiding out in here? I took the Bronco n’ everything! Damn Shinra tried and land my plane-”

“Shuddup about your plane, already!” Barret ordered, pushing through him to give Red a weird look. “I’m surprised they haven’t taken your license yet with the way you fly that thing.”

Cid gave Barret a nasty glare and muttered a mouthful of colourful things under his breath before crossing his arms and fixing Red with a stare.

“What made ya wanna buy a coeurl for a pet, I always thought you were more of a chocobo kinda’ guy?”

“I am not a coeurl,” Red said, fixing Cid with an uninterested stare. Cid glared right back, seemingly unimpressed by his speech. 

“What the hell! When did you teach your dog to speak?!” Barret asked, jumping back a bit. The motion roused Marlene, who seemed to  remember she had loads of energy just sitting within her. She came to the foot of the stairs in nearly an instant, rushing up to Red with unbridled enthusiasm. 

“I wanna see the talking doggy!”

Barret watched her, shocked. Marlene never got up before her naps were over.

“Alright, everyone, that's enough. Red and I have had a long enough day without all this,” Cloud said, sighing dejectedly. He was going to have to say something now, nearly all of his friends were here waiting for an explanation. Denzel latched onto his hand, a small smile on his lips, a silent word of encouragement flickering in his eyes.

“What happened, Cloud?” Tifa reiterated for the third time. Barret eyed him then, a question on his face, a suspicion in his dark eyes. “It wasn’t really an accident at Shinra, was it?”

Cloud swallowed thickly, glancing at the walls where numerous pictures hung: Marlene’s baby pictures, Cid and Shera- so many memories, such happy lives…  Cloud dropped his gaze back down to his feet. This wouldn’t change any of that, would it? 

“Maybe we should all sit down. It’ll be easier that way.”

Chapter Text

Sephiroth paced down the hallway, his fists clenched and Masamune, his grand blade, unsheathed at his side. He was not in a good mood today, not after Genesis’s games and especially not after getting one hundred different spam calls from the science department. It hadn’t been Sephiroth’s fault two specimens had been released in the vents. Unfortunately neither Hojo, nor president Shinra understood that he had just as many meetings to attend, just as much work- only he had to be called out every few minutes to deal with a monster attack.  

“That was so weird,” Zack murmured, more to himself than Sephiroth. He listened anyway, as Zack’s musings could often prove insightful. He was an intelligent young man in his own right despite his naivety. He was sure to become successful in the company, even if for his deeds alone. “You know, I never knew anybody could receive one of your sword strikes without just, well- you know, crumbling.”

“It was very odd,” Sephiroth agreed, opening the door to his office. Zack followed after him mindlessly, plopping down on his couch and propping his feet up on the table. Sephiroth pointedly did not mention the fact that Zack had dirt on his boots and moved to launch his computer. “An unenhanced civilian would have surely died with the force of that strike. Whoever that person was, he was clearly untrained although he was also surprisingly durable. There was also the fact he was equipped with high proficiency gear. His abandoned sword dissipated before I could examine it. Only Angeal, Genesis, and I have access to such materia.”

“But only Shinra gives enhancements, right? And the special materia? If anyone got anything, you would’ve known at least.”

“Go find Genesis and Angeal. We need to hold an impromptu meeting in thirty minutes.” Zack unfolded his arms, looking at him thoughtfully.  Sephiroth couldn’t read whatever thoughts flickered away in his mind, but it was evident he had some inkling about what was occurring. “You’re also required to attend.”

“Me too? Okay, then,” Zack murmured, standing to walk towards the exit to his office. He nearly walked into the door before realizing his mistake and pulled it open deftly. 

Zack was only ever so quiet when something was on his mind. He was almost assuredly aware of something Sephiroth was not. Luckily, a meeting with Angeal was sure to remedy that. 

  “So yer a dog-boy now, then?” Cid asked, chewing on one of the chocolate cigarettes Tifa had supplied him with. Denzel and Marlene giggled behind their little hands, prompting a smile from Tifa.

They had all taken their places around the cafe with the kids sharing the love seat by the window, Barret sitting at the counter, and Cid leaning against the door. Tifa stood busy behind the counter, whipping up drinks and snacks for their group while she listened. She really wasn’t someone who could stay still for too long. Cloud had taken a seat at one of the centre tables, his knuckles occasionally brushing Red’s head. The lion had taken his own place near Cloud’s feet, his paws crossed and head lowered.

“That's the only thing you’ve gotta say about this?’ Cloud asked, slightly embarrassed. While it was true, there probably couldn’t have been a worse way to say it. 

“So more importantly,” Barret harrumphed, crossing his arms. “That means Shinra finally have outed themselves. And you have the means to beat em’ for it. Show all of Midgar the evil they’ve been up to, and save the planet from em’.”

Cloud blinked, unsure he wanted to understand the meaning behind his words, and took a sip of the black coffee Tifa had given to him. At least the caffeine comforted him. 

“I think Barret's right, Cloud,” Tifa added, placing a bowl of milk near Red. The wolf had said he didn’t want anything, but Tifa almost never took ‘no’ as an answer for anything. If the milk didn’t work she’d probably whip up something else remotely cat-like for him. “If the planet gave you this power, I think she meant for you to use it. You could really make a difference out there. And saving animals? That's amazing!”

“I wouldn’t be able to work at the cafe,” Cloud grumbled, wishing Tifa could ditch her altruism for a moment and realize what it would mean for him if he took up Reeve’s proposition. “I’m not exactly cut out for fighting-”

“I could teach you a few things,” Barret replied, grinning. He swirled his prosthetic arm around a few times and then punched at the air, nearly striking Aerith’s newest addition of potted flowers. Tifa narrowly caught it before giving him a sharp look. “There's a nice open area right out back.”

“Are you really gonna be a hero, Cloud?” Denzel asked, his eyes alight with excitement. Marlene sat on the edge of her seat, her own eyes round and gleaming. Cloud really hadn’t before this conversation, but with everyone staring at him he didn’t feel like he had much of a choice. 

With a shrug, he downed the remainder of his coffee and stood, Red bristling beside him. 

“I should think some more about it… For now, I think I’m gonna head back to mine. It’s been a long day.” He lowered his eyes and then looked back up. “I probably won’t be in tomorrow either.”

“Do you need a ride?” Tifa asked, pausing in her motions to look up at him. Cloud didn’t meet her eyes and made towards the door.

“We’ll be fine, you guys take care-”

“Wait, you think the damned Shinra might show up at your apartment? Want me or Barret to sleep on yer’ couch for the night?” Cid asked, pausing him at the door. “I can cook a mean meatloaf-”

“Yeah, you still don’t look like you eat half enough, and with your new dog-” Barret tried.

“We’re good,” Cloud assured them, slipping outside with newfound agility. With a wave of his fingers, the blonde looked back to give a small smile. “See you around Denzel, Marlene.”

“Bye Cloud!!” They called back in unison. 

Cloud wasted no time in making his way to the parking lot and slamming his foot into his license plate. It clattered noisily onto the concrete, glaring back up at him with its smeared letters and dented face. Shinra wouldn’t be able to find him that way at least. 

“I take it you weren’t hoping for that response?” Red asked, hopping into the storage compartment. Cloud hated that he could be read so easily, especially by a stranger no less. 

“You weren’t planning on heading back to Cosmo Canyon?” Cloud asked instead, refusing to acknowledge the question. “Why do anything for Midgar? You don’t owe this city anything.”

Red lowered his head, tossing the plate into the compartment beside himself and curling up. Cloud secured Denzel’s helmet on the cat and started up the engine tiredly. 

“I want to go back home. But my grandfather often says things occur with purpose.” Red flattened his ears as Cloud successfully started his engine and began down his usual path home. He was beyond ready to collapse. “I can’t help but wonder if the purpose behind my capture might have been something greater.”

“Purpose, huh?” Cloud asked, his voice a whisper over the roar of wind and wheels. He felt like denying it, but for some reason the thought didn’t reach his lips. Maybe purpose wasn’t a bad thing. He had thought about purpose once, craved it, hoped for it; heroics had been the only thing on his mind for years. Now though, he had been tempered by reality, cured by working a real job. Zack was more heroic than he ever would be, why hadn’t he been tasked with this?

Cloud was snapped rudely out of his thoughts at the sound of blaring sirens ringing behind him, a quick look in his side mirror showed an angry security officer speeding up to his side, his motorbike a sad scrap of an automobile. The blonde pulled over to the shoulder of the road, flipping his goggles up with a glare.

 “You are being pulled over for a multitude of violations,” The officer began his voice a familiar timbre, and within a painful second, Cloud was enlightened as to why he was being slapped in the face with an overwhelming sense of déjà vu. When the officer removed his helmet, a stream of silver hair poured over the man’s shoulder, his striking eyes glancing over the clipboard in his hands. The freakin’ general of Shinra’s Elite had pulled him over. “The first being driving without a license plate-”

“You work as a security officer too?” Cloud groaned, almost disbelieving. Should he be worried? Had Shinra sent the General after him knowing his identity as Reeve’s hireling, or had it been pure coincidence? Cloud gripped the dice in his pocket tightly, suddenly nervous. 

“It is required of every SOLDIER to do necessary civil service time no matter their rank,” Sephiroth explained, before his eyes flickered upwards. He examined Cloud’s face long enough to make the blonde turn away before familiarity flickered in his eyes. “Ah, you’re the delivery man from this morning… So we meet again, and in unsavoury circumstances just as before.”

Cloud eyed the orange, cloudy sunset and decided that meeting general Sephiroth three times in one day was way too much. Maybe he should just hop on his bike and speed away before the man got any wiser. He could deal with the consequences the following day without necessarily having to deal with the General himself. Red slapped him with his tail as if he knew what he was thinking and was attempting to deter him. The blonde sighed, returning his attention back to Sephiroth.

“There's gotta’ be some constant in these ‘unsavoury circumstances’.”

“If you’re implying my presence is unsavoury, might I remind you that you are also a constant in these circumstances… Cloud was it?” Sephiroth said, tapping his pen against his board. Cloud hated that he looked slightly amused, and he hated even more that he remembered his first name. He was going to get onto Zack for all his dumb nicknames. “Full name?”

“Cloud Strife,” The blonde growled, finally abandoning his helmet. Apparently the General was intent on making this interaction way longer than it needed to be. “How much gil?”

“Fitting,” Sephiroth murmured, much to Cloud’s annoyance. “Your second violation was driving with an unsecured companion and your third was driving sixty-five kilometers over the speed limit.”

Cloud felt his eyes roll before he caught onto a sharp movement behind the General’s broad shoulder. It was so fast he wasn’t sure if he had seen it correctly and returned his gaze back to the man’s face. Sephiroth was muttering numbers under his breath as if he was adding together a total. Cloud ignored the desire to swat the clipboard out of his long fingers and drive away, and once again glanced about, feeling uneasy. 

“So what price are we looking at, officer?” He asked again, tapping his foot against the pavement. He wanted to be out of this place, something was definitely wrong. 

“The total amounts to about eighty five hundred gil. As well as an accompanied seventy-two hours in a Shinra-qualified defensive driving course.”

Cloud choked, his wallet suddenly a burning weight in his pocket. Eighty five hundred gil cost more than his rent did, it cost more than two months of delivery work paid. And to even think he thought about quitting his job for Reeve and the planet’s sake- who was he kidding? Who was going to pay his bills?

“You’ve gotta’ be overcharging me,” Cloud said, shaking his head, the desperation enough to allow him to make angry eye contact with the General. Sephiroth turned his clipboard toward him in some sort of explanation. “I’ve gotten plenty of tickets…”

“I don’t make the laws, though I do enforce them. Next time you decide to put your and this-” Sephiroth waved his hand about in Red’s general direction. “ His life in danger, you should think. It would benefit you both.”

Cloud was about to quip back until an odd smell caught his attention. He paused as a waft of smoke blew past him, the scent of ash and flame suddenly cloyingly strong in his nose. He wrinkled his nose in distaste, his eyes searching behind Sephiroth’s bulky figure. He didn’t see any flaming buildings, or smoking cars. He looked behind himself too, just to make sure he hadn’t missed anything and quirked his brow at Red. The lion gave him a similarly disturbed look.

“You should be listening to what I’m saying, Cloud. While I have no intention to waive this fee if you decided to show the least bit of remorse for your actions I might feel inclined to-”

“Get down,” Cloud ordered suddenly, his eyes wide. He felt it in his gut, a sharp warning to get as low to the ground as possible, maybe it was the shimmering heat he suddenly felt pressed against his skin, or the beads of sweat he felt dripping down his back. Red felt it too, leaping out of the compartment and onto the gravel, his stance low and guarded. 

Sephiroth looked at him oddly for a half a second before glancing upwards as if he too felt the wave of heat on his pale skin. But it was a second too long, Cloud gave into his instinct and leapt from his bike onto Sephiroth, pushing him down with a painful grunt in response. As if on cue with his action, a massive burning bird swept over them, its wings smoldering with flame and cinders alike. Cloud could feel Sephiroth’s eyes on him, shock another annoyingly handsome expression on his chiseled face, but Cloud didn't have time to curse Gaia’s work, his attention was on the sky above them. 

“Shit,” The blonde whispered watching as the flaming calamity flew towards Sector Eight, a residential area within Midgar. He pushed himself off of Sephiroth’s chest, ignoring the fact he was using the man’s idiotically exposed chest as leverage, and squatted down to lift Red from his lowered position. “We need to get a move on.”

“You say you don’t want this duty, but you’re still rushing forward anyways.” Red whispered, his golden eye alight with determination. Cloud wondered if his own eyes mirrored that expression. “Your actions don’t align with your words.”

“You’re not going anywhere,” Sephiroth corrected, suddenly close. Cloud distinctly remembered him saying those same words earlier. The General grabbed ahold of his wrist, forcing him to look upwards at his face. “While you may have deceptively good instincts, I cannot allow you to go any further without Shinra accompaniment. Your residence is in Sector Eight, is that correct?”

Before Cloud could respond, Sephiroth released his arm and glanced down at his hand, surprised. 

“You’re bleeding. When did you get injured?”

“I live in Sector Seven, don’t need an escort,” Cloud said, leaping onto his bike and motioning for Red to follow suit. The cat jumped into his compartment within a second, a grin pulling at his furry face. “Just waive the ticket- that's about how much your unpaid coffee order went for anyway. I’ll take the defensive driving courses, don’t worry!”

“Do not distract me, you haven’t answered my-” Sephiroth glared hard at the blonde as he sped away before sprouting his wings and using his own summoning materia to transform into his armour. As much as he wanted to press Zack’s mysterious friend, the threat to Sector Eight was far too great. He couldn’t focus on both things at the same time. Hopefully he could dispatch this monster quickly and return to business. Sephiroth could only hope.

Chapter Text

This time after Cloud had looped around and made his way back to Sector Eight, he specifically parked a distance away from the general area he thought the battle might occur so his bike wasn’t in plain view again. Pastel bikes weren’t exactly common in Midgar. He would probably have to paint it black next time he got the chance just to reduce the chance of anyone drawing too many connections. Boy had his to-do list filled up quickly.

“You’re going to say yes to Reeve, I presume?” Red asked, trotting up to him after Cloud had rolled his bike behind two large and very inconspicuous trash bins. Red had already transformed with his materia, his lean form nearly one with the shadows. Cloud sighed, rolling his own dice and allowing the sweet caress of magic to kiss his skin. His reprieve didn’t last more than three seconds.

“It hasn’t even been a day yet,” Cloud muttered instead, pulling his fingers through his lengthened hair. Even though he had transformed smoothly, and even gotten his discarded sword back, his body still felt pretty worn. None of his injuries had seemed to heal either. 

Cloud leaped onto a nearby branch and used it as leverage to launch himself onto the roof of a house. He rolled roughly before he felt Red grab the extended collar of his shirt to pull him to a stop. 

“If Cait Sith appears here too, I think he might take your action as an implicit answer.” Red said, leaping to the next roof dexterously. Cloud could only look numbly in the cat’s direction, jealous of his prowess. 

“I can save a few squirrels without selling myself to Shinra.”

The bird was within sight now, its massive wings folded across its blazing chest. It had landed right before Loveless Street, completely motionless. Cloud didn’t know what exactly it was waiting for, but he couldn’t help but get the inkling it was looking for something. Its coal eyes flickered across the street as if it was in pursuit of something. Cloud grunted as he ruined the shingles on another unlucky roof. He had nearly put his foot on a full bird nest just one or two building’s back and crushed a bunch of innocent eggs. Roof jumping was not an easy skill to learn.

“I believe that means you’re already sold.” Red smirked, and leapt agilely once again landing on a far away roof. Cloud swore he saw his tail wagging back and forth in a sort of excited manner as if he was laughing. 

The sun had nearly set now, leaving the monstrous bird the only illuminated form on the  centre of the street. None of the street lights were lit, leaving only a hulking shadow of the monster to remain at one end of the street, ever still and ever watching. Cloud almost felt a shiver run down his spine.

“Something is off,” He whispered instead, his voice barely above a breath. The air was quiet, the scene dark. It was a Friday night, Loveless Street should have been swarming with people, light, and entertainment. Cloud blinked about, the darkness barely hindering his vision. “There should be a lot more people here. The monster sirens haven’t even rang even though this giant bird’s flying around.”

Red looked at him then, his expression severe and his eye aglow in the dark night. 

“You think it's…” Red paused sniffing at the air, his nose twitching. “An ambush? I don’t smell anything.”

Cloud took his own whiff of the stale air, catching only the strong scent of ash and fire. It was even stronger being this near to the bird. It almost felt planned. Two monsters in one day seemed like a lot on Shinra’s science department… But if this monster had been sent specifically to block their senses then it was wholly possible it wasn’t just the bird they were dealing with.

“I don't either. Maybe I’m just paranoid-”

As if called by the heavens, Sephiroth seemed to descend from the moonlight, his sword drawing a beautiful arc, silver and bright even in the darkness. Cloud shared a tired glance with Red, drawing his own blade. This was the heaviest blade in his arsenal, and from his limited experience, his favourite. It just seemed to fit in his hand. 

“Looks like that's our cue,” Cloud said, with one last forlorn look at the roof. “It’ll probably be best to stay in the shadows for both of us. Don’t do anything too flashy.”

Red let out a little grunt as if he understood, and leapt off the roof onto the concrete, his padded paws landing soundlessly. After he had descended, Cloud couldn’t even make out where he had slinked off to. Red had actually melted into the shadows. 

Realizing Sephiroth was about to stab the blade into the head of the bird, Cloud descended from the roof, nowhere near as graceful, but just as proficiently as Red had. He caught Sephiroth’s blade mid-strike, using the force of his own leap to try and push the man back. It didn’t work all too successfully, instead allowing Sephiroth to gaze deeply into his face, a question behind his flickering eyes. Cloud’s arm however, did feel like tearing straight off, his limbs burning as they received the singular blow. 

“Mess with somebody your own size!” Cloud growled, his passion making up for his exhaustion.

“So you decided to appear yet again?” The General asked, his voice low and contemplative. Cloud didn’t like it one bit. 

The bird, having finally realized it was being targeted, released a loud screech, and began flapping its oversized wings, a torrent of flame nearly the size of the Loveless theatre, rushing toward them. Sephiroth made one sharp strike toward it and cut the elemental calamity in two, sending a rush of hot air and pressure on all sides. Cloud could only lift his large blade in front of himself and watch the icy blade hiss with heat.

“Wolf!” Red barked, some distance away, Cloud turned for a moment, looking for his feline friend, only to end up shoved against the side of a house, the edge of a terrifying blade skewering the collar of his shirt and successfully pinning him to the brick. It also had the advantage of being precariously close to his neck. With a painfully decisive kick to his wrist, Cloud was forced to drop his blade weakly, a snarl forming on his face. To hell with metal, heeled boots; Sephiroth was already tall enough, wasn’t he?

“Never take your eyes off the enemy in front of you,” Sephiroth instructed, twisting his sword just enough to nick the side of Cloud’s neck. Even though the monster was still raging behind him, the General didn’t seem bothered at all, in fact he looked oddly smug. “Now that we are finally on speaking terms I must ask about your intentions and identity-”

Red, who had crossed the distance scarily fast, leapt at Sephiroth’s undefended back just close enough to cause the General to turn from Cloud, his eyes suddenly searching for his assailant. 

“Never take your eyes off the enemy in front of you!” Cloud shouted, slamming his knuckles in the side of Sephiroth’s pretty jaw. the General turned and looked at him, malice glittering in his eyes like a live wire. Even with pain radiating up his arm he managed to tear his collar enough to escape the General’s sword-hold and take a few steps back, Red covering his flank. 

“What happened-?” Cloud tried before a bullet grazed his shoulder, a searing heat making its way up his arm. Red looked at him wide-eyed, and for the first time, nervous. For some reason, Cloud couldn’t imagine either the bird or Sephiroth pulling out a gun on them. 

“Shinra reinforcements- they’re here… I think they’re from the science department.” Red angled himself dangerously, his sinuous body curving just out of the way of a bullet. Cloud casted a blizzaga in the general direction of the bullets and prayed it would give them at least a moment to catch their breath. His mind ached at the loss of energy. “It was an ambush, we need to leave we’re disadvantaged-”

Suddenly, the blonde blinked up at the monstrous bird, horror flooding his mind as the weight of Red’s words really sunk in. While they had taken their brief retreat, Sephiroth had engaged the bird and sunk his silver-white blade into its neck. It had only taken the General a few seconds to take down a monster over half his size; Cloud had been completely outmatched. The bird was gone, they didn’t even have a reason to be here anymore. 

Red stared forward, horror clouding his single golden eye, his tail completely limp. Cloud didn’t think twice before patting his scruff affectionately, and swallowing the lump that had formed in his own throat. 

“We’ve gotta’ make it out before-”

“Hey kids, you two are lookin’ mostly healthy, huh?” Hollander asked, emerging from the alleyway Cloud had been inching toward. He had an open potion in his hand and took a long swig, grinning. “Hasn’t been too long, has it? Ready to head back home ?”

Cloud took a tentative step backwards, his fingers still brushing over Red’s scruff protectively. He felt himself step into something and a strong arm gripped his shoulder. Cloud grabbed at the hilt of one of his thinner blades, only for the General to force his arm back down. Sephiroth was holding him captive by presence alone.

“Dr. Hollander?” The General asked, a question in his voice. It was obvious this hadn’t been a coordinated effort despite how successfully it had worked out for all the Shinra personnel involved. Cloud finally felt the weight of exhaustion and fear settle in his stomach. No matter how this ended, it didn’t seem like it was going to be good. A few more men emerged from the shadows- infantrymen by the look of their uniform. “I fail to see what drew you out of your lab… Unless…?”

Cloud could feel the weight of Sephiroth’s scrutinizing gaze even without looking at his face, the weight of his fingers a noose around his throat. If the General hadn’t shown up here, he was almost positive things would have gone according to plan. 

“Oh, don’t you worry about anything, general. My team is just here to pick up these special creatures . Genesis called in about them and how they’ve been showing up around Midgar.”

“Genesis?” Sephiroth murmured, his hand loosening for a moment. “According to my records, they’ve only shown up twice. Today .”

It was in that briefest second that a hush fell over the night, even the wind stilling its breeze. The conversation dulled out to a hum in Cloud’s ear, slow and soft- just buzzing. Cloud felt it then, long before he saw it- whatever it was- a single feather, black as raven night, sharp as a knife. It wasn’t like Sephiroth’s feathers which felt softer, more like down, no these feathers were dark like pitch, raining from the sky like drops of clotted ink. Red growled low in his throat before the air was thick with them. 

Sephiroth drew his sword then, his free arm curling around Cloud’s waist like a curse. The blonde snarled himself, shoving against the General even without knowing where the feathers had come from. 

“What the hell?!” He heard Hollander cry out, and the muffled cries of a few other troopers echoed around them, quiet, almost distant.

“Distance yourself from Sephiroth,” A low voice murmured beside his ear, no more than a breath in the chaos. For a moment Cloud wasn’t even sure the command was directed at him, but he didn’t have time to take chances. 

After a few more seconds of futile struggle, Cloud grabbed the entangling arm, and bit down as hard as he could manage, his teeth piercing whatever armour he was wearing and meeting skin. Sephiroth flinched hard at that. 

After they were released it was like they were suspended in thin air for a moment, the sensation of falling whipping his lengthened hair into disarray and tearing at his shredded armour. Red was beside him, Cloud soon noticed, falling just as he was. The black feathers were all they could see.

Chapter Text

When the darkness finally cleared, they were atop another roof- one Cloud was very familiar with. There was no other building in Midgar that had pink roof shingles after all. Cloud blinked about, disoriented until his eyes landed on a nearby figure. A tall, lanky man was perched on the edge of the roof, tattered black wings fluttering softly in the wind. Now that Cloud was so close, he realized they had a slightly reddish hue in the moonlight. 

“What- who are you ?” Cloud asked, too tired to let his sword try and do anymore talking. He needed to brush up on his peacemaking skills, maybe that route would be more successful for them. 

“I’m like you,” The man said, turning to face Cloud and Red. His skin was as white as the moon, his eyes a bloodied bronze. His clothes were dark and tattered, sharp talons peeking out from where his feet might have been. He had to be a victim of Shinra’s science department too then? 

“Why did you save us?” Red asked, stepping forward to sniff at the air. Whatever he was trying to discern, he only seemed to be at more of a loss afterward. Cloud shot a glance toward the lion, but didn’t receive anything in response. A cursory sniff didn’t let him in on any details either.

“I… need a place to stay,” The man’s gaze shifted, a sliver of light illuminating his face to display a sharp, hooked nose, feathers combing through his hair. Cloud felt his jaw almost drop.

“You want to live in my apartment?” This time he flashed a quick glance at Red and received something close to disbelief in turn. 

“You’re against Shinra. You’re also changed. I could help you in return for lodging.”

The man didn’t say it aloud, but Cloud could hear it in his voice alone: they needed his help. If he hadn’t decided to help them tonight, they might have ended up back in Shinra’s science department. Or worse, having a meeting with General Sephiroth.

“Shinra did this to you too, then?” Red asked, approaching the bird-like man. He sniffed his talon for a moment intently, before sitting in front of him. “But you don’t seem the same as Cloud.”

The man looked up to gaze at Cloud then, something sharp in his gaze, something painful. 

“We are different,” the man bowed his head then, clearly saddened by the observation before looking up once more. “Where is your apartment located?”

Cloud rubbed one of his own clawed hands at his neck, suddenly sheepish.

“You… You’re gonna have to give us more than that if you wanna stay.”

The man froze for a moment, before his eyes caught onto Cloud’s, narrow and dark.

“I’m called Vincent Valentine. Fifty years ago I was experimented on- just as you were, only at this time the Jenova Project was in its beginning phases. I am the result of a different, failed experiment.” Vincent lowered his eyes then, detached from the conversation. “After escaping as a monster, I could no longer return to society. I’ve been living isolated for years now. I only recently caught sight of you and your companion and thought I might be able to…”

“Join us?” Cloud offered, suddenly sympathetic. Sure being innocent and trusting had been what had gotten him into this mess in the first place, but Vincent had his chance to give them to Shinra. If he really did have bad intentions toward Cloud and Red, they were his own bad intentions and most certainly didn’t have any generals included. Was that supposed to be a comforting thought?

Vincent shrugged, looking back toward the roof.

“I live in Sector Seven,” Cloud sighed, patting Red’s head to try and stop the flow of regret his bleeding heart decided to release. “Del Sol Suites.”

Within another black, feathery instant Cloud found himself back in front of his apartment, beaten and bruised, but whole. He reached into his pocket before remembering to de-transform and fiddled around a bit in search of his keys. 

“So you have the ability to transport us to any location?” Red asked, watching Cloud grab at his pockets dumbly. “Do we all have abilities like this?”

“Within one hundred meters, I can take up to two hundred kilograms of weight to any location I’ve been to.” Vincent paused, pulling a revolving rifle from under his sweeping cape. “Considering your species, I’d assume your ability is complete invisibility. Stealth is a predator’s greatest skill. As for the Nibel Wolf, his skills lie in his ability to rend any armour with tooth or claw.”

“I think I left my apartment key on my bike,” Cloud muttered, rubbing at his neck sheepishly. Red blinked up at him, while Vincent pushed him aside easily, pointing the muzzle of his gun to the knob. He coughed. “My neighbours might report me, is there any quieter way-”

With a loud shot, the metal of Cloud’s doorknob splintered, the handle falling completely off and a dark ring of ash surrounding where it had been held in place. The door itself creaked open sadly.

Red blinked and pattered forward, seemingly unaffected. 

Despite the chaotic events of the day, everything was just as he had left it: laundry undone, his leaning tower of cupnoodle untouched. Even the little mouse family that had taken residence in his kitchen were all tucked neatly into the cat-bed Cloud had bought for them. 

“Sorry for the mess,” Cloud murmured, feeling slightly self-conscious. There was a solid reason he hadn’t invited Aerith, Barret, or Tifa over for a few months. “If you guys want to take the bed-”

“You should treat your injuries before resting,” Vincent said, flapping his massive wings before perching on the sofa arm. Cloud decided to ignore the tear of fabric he heard as well as the massive gust of wind that nearly totaled his ramen tower, and instead head towards the bathroom.

“The closest thing I’ve got to first aid is pain killer and toilet paper. Will that work?”

“It will have to,” Red said, appearing beside him. He had yet to say anything about the layout of his apartment and Cloud couldn’t help but feel slightly self conscious. 

“Did you get hurt too?” Cloud asked, bending down to examine Red’s paws and fur. 

“Not as badly as you,” He admitted, sitting upright. A quick once over showed Cloud that he wasn’t lying. Aside from a few scratches, Red didn’t seem too roughed up.  “Do you have anything edible in your cold storage?”

“I could order pizza?” Cloud asked, looking between his new roommates. He mostly ate ramen, sandwiches, or coffee at mealtimes. When guests came over he usually had at least one day to prepare. He received two blank looks in return. “You guys don’t like pizza?”

“In Cosmo Canyon, I mostly consume a diet of fresh meat and dried fruits.” Red replied, tilting his head slightly to the side. Cloud had to physically restrain himself from pulling out his PHS and snapping a photo. “Does ‘pizza’ have either of those things?”

“I’ve been living off of monster meat for years.” Vincent murmured. Cloud hid his reaction and nodded in understanding. Right, he was talking to a cat and a guy who hadn’t lived in a city for years.

“Pizza it is then.”

Sephiroth took one breath in through his nose, drank in the smell of freshly cleaned floors, and exhaled. It was supposed to be a calming method some highly acclaimed nobody had spewed at one of the conferences he had been forced to attend. Sephiroth did not feel any calmer. 

Lifting his foot to the door, he kicked it hard, an ounce of satisfaction flickering into his mind as the hinges burst, sending the poorly made piece of wood soar into the far wall. The gasp that followed just seemed like a cherry on top. Sephiroth took one more breath before entering, his eyes narrowed.

“Genesis…” He growled, sweeping into the room with the cold rage of a god. Masamune was unsheathed, and while he was simply wearing his normal uniform, he was sure he looked somewhat fearsome considering Genesis was pulling his blanket further up with every step he took. Good he should be afraid. Lying was a sin by itself, but lying to your commanding officer was a crime warranting death. 

“Angeal! Angeal, wake up you idiot!” Genesis slapped at the form lying next to him before faking a smile and narrowing his eyes back at Sephiroth, his thin shoulder artfully exposed. “Most people knock before entering… Unless of course you wanted to see--”

“Do you know what the punishment for lying to your commanding officer is, Genesis?” Sephiroth asked, deliberately speaking in a very calm tone. “Or would you like to start with an explanation regarding your relationship with Dr. Hollander?”

Genesis choked, his eyebrows high on his now pallid face.  

“You got what was coming for you, Gen,” Angeal yawned, before turning his back to him. The red-haired man opened his mouth in shock before Sephiroth swung his blade, its edge landing a mere centimeter from Genesis’s throat. 

“You said you didn’t know anything at the impromptu meeting held earlier today, and yet,” Sephiroth paused, his green eyes boring into Genesis’s soul. “And yet, I hear from what I initially thought was an uninvolved party, that you had reported a sighting of this group before.”

A sheen of sweat appeared on the red head’s neck- the only obvious sign of his deceit. Genesis held his gaze, his teasing smile still plastered to his lips like the liar he was. 

“I didn’t lie, Sephiroth, I just withheld the truth- just a bit of it, because I know you don’t like the science department,” Genesis batted his sword away lightly, gulping. Sephiroth righted its position immediately. “The two creatures that escaped the science department today? The dear Doctor has given me reason to believe that those two hindrances- because that is what they are, make no mistake- may have been those same two ‘heroes’ who have gone to fight against the monsters.”

“You’re still withholding something from me.” Sephiroth said, glaring. 

“Well, the last thing I’ll say is,” Genesis glanced over at Angeal’s resting form before motioning for Sephiroth to lean down close. The General glared, but complied, finally sheathing his sword. “Let me just say, I wasn’t the only one withholding information at today’s meeting. I do believe Zackary was working on the identity of one of them. But that's all I know, honest!”

Sephiroth lifted a brow. Zack had seemed to be distracted earlier in the day… However, considering his honest nature, it wasn’t often like him to withhold things. That was unless there was a specific reason he thought he needed to protect the identity of the person.

“Pinning your own faults on Zack will only earn you a brief respite. Once I’m finished with him, I’ll return. And then I’ll have my full truth.”

Genesis glared hard at him, but said no more. Sephiroth couldn’t help but sneer as he turned. He rarely felt justified in his attacks, given that there were very few who could receive them, but once in a while it felt right to be overbearing in both presence and assault.

Chapter Text

Cloud woke up for one reason, it wasn’t because his alarm rang, and it most certainly wasn’t because he wanted to get up. He still felt dead tired, his limbs stiff and aching far worse than they had the day before. Tifa had always told him he should work out, now it was coming back to bite him.  Another loud knock sounded on his door before he heard it creak open, the sound more foreboding than it usually was. That was right, Vincent had destroyed his door last night. Whoever was knocking probably just let themself right in. 

“Cloud! I’m coming in- oh!” Aerith exclaimed, from just outside. Cloud felt his eyes pop open. Aerith at his apartment this early in the morning? A quick glance at his clock told him noon wasn’t that early , but Vincent was on the couch. And Red was at his feet. Cloud shot up ignoring the headache that was pulsing at his head and rubbed at his face before making his way towards his living room. They were fortunately not too far. 

“Who are you?” He heard Aerith ask, awe in her voice. 

“I’m his…” Vincent paused for a moment, taking a clear moment to think. When his answer came half a second later, Cloud couldn’t help but wish he might have taken ten more seconds to think. “His brother.”

“Cloud, there's no way this is your brother?” Zack called, his arm around Aerith’s shoulders and eyes wide. Cloud took the chance to fully enter his living room, his reluctance written all over his face. Zack looked between the two before creasing his brow. When had Zack ever managed to enter his apartment so quietly? He was never quiet! “How could I not know you had a brother?!”

Cloud looked at Vincent, silently attempting to ask what the hell had prompted him to say that, before Aerith looked between them, her eyes bright and inquisitive.

“But you’re so tall!” She said, giggling a bit behind her hand. “Cloud is this your boyfrie-”

“Hey!” Cloud finally interjected, rubbing at his spikes. He was too tired to deal with this.  “Shouldn’t you be at work Zack? And you too, Aerith? Not that I mind having you here… People just usually call before they come over.”

“Tifa called you a hundred times, Cloud! Zack too!” Aerith scolded, pulling away from Zack to point a chastising finger toward his nose. The blonde flinched. That was right, along with his apartment key his PHS was also in his motorcycle. Red was probably laughing at him now. “You didn’t pick up a single one of her calls so of course we had to come over. Neither of us have seen you since you disappeared!”

“Yeah, about that whole disappearing business,” Zack said, moving to sit down beside Vincent. He looked at the dark haired man for a second before deciding he didn’t care and looked toward Cloud seriously. “After you called me to the parking lot--”

“So you guys want something to drink? Must have been a long trip from Sector 6,” Cloud coughed awkwardly, wholly intending to interrupt Zack despite his usually quiet nature. This was going to be a long conversation if he was going to persist with that line of questioning. “I’ve got pizza too. If you’re hungry.”

It was at that moment that Red decided to jump from his bed and make his way into the living room, his nose twitching at the arrival of new people. 

“You got an animal friend, Cloud? And didn’t introduce us?” Aerith cried, dropping to her knees to hold Red’s face in her hands. Cloud watched keenly as Red pulled back his ears, pulling away from her hold. 

“And lemme’ guess, this is your cousin, right Spike?” Zack laughed, moving to pat Red on the head. The cat used Zack’s movement as a chance to escape Aerith’s hold and ended up taking Zack’s place on the couch beside Vincent. Cloud felt his ears go red at the comment. 

“I’m actually his temporary companion. I go by Red,” The cat explained, gaining swift applause from Aerith and a shocked look from Zack. “I originally come from Cosmo Canyon. You two must be Cloud’s friends?”

“Aerith Gainsborough, florist, and Cloud’s,” After shaking Red’s paw emphatically and pressing his paw pad, much to his dismay, she let go and put her hands on her hips. “Cloud’s personal romance director!” 

Cloud froze, shaking his head. He wasn’t sure how much longer he was going to be able to hide behind his fridge door and pretend like he was looking for drinks no one had asked for. 

“And I’m Zack Fair! SOLDIER second class, and the lucky guy that's been able to take this lady out,” Zack grinned, winking and shooting finger guns in Aerith’s direction. Cloud rolled his eyes, a sudden wave of fondness washing over him. “You’re keeping a sharp eye on Cloudy, right? Trouble follows him around like nothing!”

“I’ve only got one, but I try,” Red said thoughtfully, his head lowered.

Vincent cleared his throat, shifting his position. Cloud noticed he had kept his wings and talons hidden under a large blanket- Cloud’s comforter. He hadn’t felt cold sleeping next to Red that night, but when exactly had he taken that?

“So you work for Shinra then?” Vincent asked, his tone dull. Since their first meeting, he had spoken in monotone, but Cloud couldn’t help but get an inkling there was a twinge of suspicion in his voice.

“That's right,” Zack nodded, a smile pulling at his lips. Cloud had heard his ‘dreams, honour, hero’ story one thousand times, but now that he was aligned directly against Shinra he wasn’t sure how he felt. Zack was a good guy, his character had never been under question… It was just that Cloud wasn’t exactly sure how he’d react if he knew about his new circumstances. Zack knew Barret, Tifa, and Cid hated Shinra but there was a fine line between hating something and actively going out of your way to oppose its every action. “I think I’ll be promoted to first class pretty soon too! Angeal says I’m doing pretty well!”

 Cloud swung the door of his fridge shut with a little too much force and coughed as all eyes turned to him. Apparently Vincent was not going to continue the conversation he started. Aerith had an obvious question flickering behind her green eyes, but Cloud purposefully turned his attention to the floor.

“That's great Zack,” Cloud nodded, rubbing at his neck. “I’ve actually got an appointment at, uh, soon - so I think if you guys are good then-”

“Are you doing okay, Cloud? Are you sure?” Aerith asked, her finger tapping her nose. It was times like this that Cloud swore Aerith had gotten some hidden initiative from Tifa to interrogate him until he wasn’t okay anymore. Or maybe that was backwards. “Are you heading to a doctor’s appointment?”

A flash of something went through Zack’s eyes, way too fast for Cloud to identify. The blonde turned his attention back to Aerith, disregarding it.

“No, I’ve just got- it's my, uhm, it's my brother’s appointment to the doctor.”

Well damn, if Cloud hadn’t exposed himself right here, he might as well and go beg Sephiroth to just go ahead and arrest him for all his civil and criminal acts. At this rate anything was interchangeable.

Both Zack and Aerith eyed Vincent for a moment before Aerith stood somewhat discreetly and walked toward him, whispering very loudly. 

“Is he threatening you, Cloud? Blink twice if he is!”

“He’s not a threat,” Red piped up, finally, to Cloud’s defence. “Not yet at least.”

Zack’s mouth fell open, but Cloud didn’t give him a chance to speak. He carefully moved the clearly confused couple toward where his door had been, and tried to smile in a comforting way. It hurt his cheeks. Aerith and Zack shared a very sharp, bewildered look, like they had never seen him try that before.

“Red, you’re not helping,” Cloud murmured, before pushing the couple outside the threshold to his house. Like that was going to gain either party any privacy. 

“Roommate, brothers- Vincent thinks it's all the same. I’m doing fine here, and it's good to see you two are fine too. Thanks for checking up on me.” Cloud looked down, wondering how much irreversible damage had been caused in this conversation alone, and then decided to go with the flow. Not much else he could do at this point. “I’ll see you guys around I’m sure. It's just a busy day, that's it.”

Both people seemed as if they had loads more of conversation they wanted to bombard Cloud with, but the blonde slunk back into his room almost immediately, pushing his handle-less door back in place as if to ward away any potential, or persisting, visitors. 

“There are a lot of people who care about you,” Red commented, his head now resting between his paws. Cloud moved to sit beside the two, his springy couch melting under his weight. 

“I’m lucky to have them. That makes what we have to do even more important though.” Cloud agreed, staring at his ceiling. On how to maintain all his relationships as well as Reeve’s expectations… Well, that was a different question with a very different answer. Cloud turned to look at Vincent thoughtfully. “Even Zack. He’s big on Shinra, but he’s a good guy.”

“An oxymoron, but I’ll take your word for it.” Vincent acquiesced, his voice as low as the night before. Maybe he just couldn’t talk loud. “My identity isn’t the one at risk.”

Cloud was still wondering how long he was going to stay for.

“Was that an attempt at humour earlier?” Red asked, seemingly non-threatened by Vincent’s blunt observation. His tail flicked side to side, leaving small, sooty patches wherever it touched the already fraying couch. “When you claimed to be Cloud’s older brother?”

“I don’t know what you mean,” Vincent deadpanned, his lips a firm line. Cloud could distinctly see a bit of light in his red eyes- amusement no doubt. It seemed like despite his cold aloofness, Vincent had yet to lose his idea of humour. And his idea seemed awfully dry at best. 

“If you two are done laughing at our newfound brotherhood, maybe we could go and do something productive, like getting my bike,” Cloud sighed, rubbing a tired hand down his face. “It’d probably be smart to give Reeve a call once I get my PHS back too. If the General keeps showing up when we do, it’ll be pretty hard to get anything done.”

“So you’re accepting then? Reeve’s proposal?” Red asked, his tail swishing back and forth rapidly before stopping completely. Cloud watched as it burned a solid hole into his couch and then shrugged.

“Aside from us three, who else is crazy enough to agree to get genetically mutated to save people without pay?”

When Vincent returned Cloud and Red to Loveless Street, the entire area was shut down by security guards and there was enough bright yellow caution tape to make his eyes sting. Cloud almost regretted not parking an even greater distance away just because of how far the police tape was placed. Turned out he was going to have to risk his freedom just to grab his bike and get the hell away.

“Should I just grab it…?” Cloud reasoned aloud, his arms crossed and eyes thoughtful. “You could portal Red back and I could speed away in the case anyone has a problem.”

Vincent blinked sleepily, his hand once again reaching for his rifle before Cloud smacked him lightly. Red looked about, completely ignoring them.

“Stop, don’t pull that out here,” Cloud hissed. Vincent blinked at him slowly. He had been in survival mode for too long. Cloud would need to slowly help get him accustomed to society again. “We’re trying to be discreet. Guns aren’t discreet-”

“Secrecy is usually reserved for criminals and suspects. Considering the fact you have absolutely no reason to be here, which list should I be adding you to?” A commanding voice questioned from nearly behind them. Cloud had been so enraptured with his poor, unfortunate bike, he had missed the smell of cologne and death. That might get him killed one day.

It hadn’t even been twenty-four hours and he was running into Sephiroth again. Was he cursed? Had Reeve cursed him when he had handed out those two harmless little materia that were shaped like dice? 

“I was delivering a coffee, and when I came back my bike was behind the tape. Aren’t you supposed to give citizens the benefit of the doubt, officer?” Cloud asked, this lie much more convincing then his previous one. There was just something about Aerith and Zack that made it difficult for Cloud to even think about deceiving them. 

“This tape was placed here at 5:45 in the morning. I find it very hard to believe you were delivering coffee at that time,” Sephiroth said, eyeing Vincent momentarily before crossing his arms. Today he was wearing a dark turtleneck that made him look rich and smug. Cloud didn’t want to admit that irritated him slightly more.

“Some people like their coffee early. As a delivery man it is my job to, uh,” Cloud coughed awkwardly before nodding to himself. He knew what he was doing. “Deliver .”

“If the coffee was ordered at 5:30 and you arrived at 5:50, that would still put you at fault for parking behind this tape.  The drive from Sector 7 to Sector 8 is approximately thirty minutes without traffic, that is assuming you were not speeding again-”

“Okay, listen. I know I was late delivering your coffee, but I don’t make a habit of being late. You can ask my employer--”

“I did and she said you weren’t working today.” Sephiroth narrowed his eyes, a small, self-satisfied smile pulling at his lips. He took an annoyingly long sip of coffee from what Cloud belatedly realized was a Seventh Heaven Coffee cup. Vincent raised a very dark brow. Maybe Cloud should have let him fire. “Seventh Heaven really does sell quite the coffee. I found in-house service is far better than delivery service.”

Cloud paused, a sudden chill crawling up his spine as the cold green of Sephiroth’s eyes bored into him. He had walked into a trap. Again. In the same place and with the same person as the night before. The only difference was he wasn’t dressed as a dog boy . 

 What problem did Sephiroth have with him? Could he suspect his identity? When he transformed, a mask did cover his face, but there was always the chance it wasn’t enough. Or could it be the ticket from the night before? Who would have guessed General Sephiroth would drive all the way out to Seventh Heaven for a coffee unless… Unless he had been specifically looking for Cloud. 

The blonde looked down, his failed attempt at deception a painful slap in the face. What could he even do now, try and lie to him again? Who knew what Sephiroth had been up to. If the General had been going out of his way to get information on him, it was highly possible he wouldn’t be able to pull off any form of deception. 

“What're you gonna do?” Cloud asked defiantly, finally meeting Sephiroth’s gaze head on. He glared, feigning confidence and hoping he came off as something near intimidating. Forget intimidating Shinra’s favourite General, maybe he could at least catch him off guard? “Arrest me?”

Cloud heard Red sigh before he realized Sephiroth had actually pulled out a pair of shiny handcuffs. He didn’t even get the chance to struggle before they were snapped snugly in place around his thin wrists. This was going to end up on his record. What was he going to tell Tifa? Maybe asking her not to give out his schedule was a good place to start.

“Thank you for the initiative, Cloud. I’m sure we’ll have an enlightening conversation back at Shinra Headquarters.” Sephiroth replied, motioning for him to walk forward. The blonde looked back at Red and Vincent, his mouth hanging open in unprocessed confusion. “As for your… companions, I’m sure they’ll have a more decent understanding of the law after this encounter.”

“Cloud,” Vincent started, his brow creased. His hand was once again reaching for his firearm, but it was Red who stopped him this time. The cat nodded towards Cloud, a silent understanding passing between them. 

They were going to have to break him out.

Chapter Text

“Get in the car.” Sephiroth ordered, pulling the door open before typing something on his PHS. For demanding something in a clearly unreasonable way, the silver general sure was acting nonchalant. Honestly, waltzing back into Shinra HQ was probably the last thing Cloud could ever want to do under any circumstances for the rest of his life. 

“If this is about the tickets, I’m willing to pay the eight thousand some gil,” Cloud said, refusing to walk any closer to the car. When he looked over his shoulder he could still catch the red of Vincent’s cape and the flicker of Red’s flaming tail. The situation wasn't lost. They didn't know what Sephiroth knew, that was both a blessing and a curse. For one, it was obvious he was bluffing on some fronts, or else he wouldn't have approached them so haughtily, and with leverage. On the other hand, they also didn't know why he was pressing Cloud Strife for information, as far as Sephiroth should know, Cloud was just another speeding idiot. “And, the defensive driving courses too.”

Sephiroth looked up at him, one of his silver brows quirked as if he couldn’t believe Cloud was saying this now of all times. He pocketed his phone and flicked a piece of his cascading hair over his shoulder, nearly prompting Cloud to spit on one of his nice, shiny black shoes. 

“People become surprisingly reasonable when faced with arrest.” He crossed his arms then, leaning on the side of the open car door. “Unfortunately for you, if it was simply the ticket I wanted you to pay I wouldn’t have needed to temporarily detain you.”

If the ticket wasn’t the problem then Cloud was home free. There was no other reason- at least that Sephiroth could know of- that could incriminate him, or even get him ten feet near an arrest. A sense of crazed excitement suddenly struck him like a bolt.

“I hadn’t broken the tape yet… That means you’ve got no right to cuff me,” Cloud realized suddenly, and with more vigour than he had intended. Sephiroth lazily lifted a brow, seemingly more amused than anything. Cloud shoved his bound wrists toward the General. “I’ve got my innocence back General, now you better return my freedom.”

“If you comply and answer my questions honestly I will have no problem releasing you.” Sephiroth stated, his expression clear of malice. Cloud still didn’t feel like he believed him. “Now if you would please enter the car.”

“I won’t talk at Shinra. I’ll answer your questions, but not there.” Cloud demanded, knowing he had no leverage. Sephiroth tilted his head, his eyes narrowing once again. He took a long drink of his coffee before lowering his head in a nod. 

“It’ll be taken into consideration. Anything else?”

“Can I lose the handcuffs?” 

Sephiroth scoffed then, his full lips pulling into a smirk. It should have been illegal to be as attractive as he was while still being such a goddamn nuisance. Cloud smiled back when he noticed the slight discolouration near the side of his jaw- a reminder of the previous night no doubt. It had been so satisfying to punch him, Cloud couldn’t hold back the taunt. 

“You can lose the handcuffs once you lose your penchant for lying-”

“Your smile looks a little stilted, General.” Cloud observed, his brow twitching. He lifted his cuffed hands to point near his own mouth where he had hit Sephiroth the previous night. “Looks like it hurts.”

The easiness that had taken over the General’s features hardened into cold ice, his smirk falling into something that looked closer to an angry grimace; a terrifying sort of dread solidified in his gaze, targeted solely at poor, innocent Cloud. When faced between a pissed, seething Sephiroth and a smug, self-satisfied Sephiroth, Cloud was almost one hundred percent sure he would choose the latter. 

“You don’t look to be in pristine shape yourself, Strife ,” Sephiroth murmured, his voice deep and menacing- like he was promising his death. A drop of sweat made its way down Cloud’s back. “If I were you, I would try and maintain this condition rather than worsen it.”

Sephiroth had maintained scarily strong eye-contact with him while reciting what was obviously a threat, and cocked his head to the side to signal Cloud to get in the car. This time, he didn’t need any further instruction. Cloud climbed in and shut the door himself. 

What had happened to his attempt at peacefully resolving crap? The only thing he was resolving was his own funeral costs that were sure to be kindly paid by Shinra after their General stared him to death.

“Put your seatbelt on,” Sephiroth instructed, settling himself in the driver’s seat and knocking his too-long legs into the wheel. Despite noticing it and staring, Cloud chose only to redirect his gaze and not to mention it. 

”Where are we going?”

Sephiroth stared for a moment before undoing his own seatbelt and fully leaning over Cloud, pulling his seatbelt into place. With his personal space suddenly invaded, Cloud couldn't do much but try to make himself one with his chair, desperate to keep whatever little distance he could maintain between them. Sephiroth seemed to have no such qualms, his broad shoulder pressed almost flush against Cloud's chest. The blonde tried hard not to think about how unfairly large Sephiroth was, and figured it must have to do with the mutations. Though his own mutations had done little to enhance his height, he had definitely gotten some extra muscle somewhere.

Probably.

Sephiroth paused even once the action was completed, stopping a few centimeters from Cloud's face, the silver of his hair just tickling the blonde's neck. 

“Not Shinra, because we must avoid Hollander, is that correct?”

Cloud froze, searching around Sephiroth's too pale face as he all but tried to still the absolute terror that threatened to consume his expression. His heart was hammering hard enough against his ribcage he was sure the other man could hear it. As if in response to his thoughts, the General smirked, his eyes flashing downward for a moment before pulling back to his own.

Cloud really didn't want to try lying to Sephiroth again, not after his humiliation earlier, but things couldn't be left as they were. Sephiroth had all but practically confirmed his hidden identity somehow. That was a major problem.

“I don't know who you're talking about, and I frankly don't care,” Cloud swallowed, praying to Odin, Gaia, and any other god he had heard of in his short life. He would give the remaining years of his life to the planet, gil disregarded, if he could fool the damn silver general this once.“I just went to retrieve my bike, honest.”

“We went over this before,” Sephiroth replied coldly, starting up the engine. They were in motion before Cloud had any further chance to physically delay them. “Before the attack, you said you live in Sector Seven. The tape was put up at 5:45 am. Unless you explicitly went against my orders and traveled to Sector Eight yesterday evening, I cannot see any plausible reason aside from the one I've come to.”

Cloud almost wanted to bite the bullet and continue the conversation just as Sephiroth wanted it, just so he could try and glean what made him so sure. Apparently Sephiroth thought he had everything figured out. Maybe that had been the reason for Zack's impromptu visit? Had he been trying to warn Cloud?

”If these are the same reasoning skills that got you to arrest an innocent man, I wouldn't count them as reliable.” Cloud watched Sephiroth roll his eyes, stopping the car before an amber light. Cloud wasn't the only one annoyed with his company, but whose fault was it they were forced to share a car together? “You could have gone.”

“Remind me who’s handcuffed?”

“The only sufficient driver apparently,” Cloud murmured, turning his nose up at the window, his eyes never leaving Sephiroth's reflection, but Sephiroth wasn’t the only thing he noticed. There was a blackish blur just outside their car, moving far too fast for Cloud to perceive. It flashed by so quickly, he didn't even have a chance to mention it. And then, in  a single devastating heartbeat, the blur collided into their car, sending the vehicle reeling with enough force to splinter the metal plating and tear it apart. A sharp spike of fear cut through him, before his vision was darkened by black spots.

Chapter Text

Cloud felt himself rolling hard, his back hitting the cement, then his shoulder- he felt his head almost take a blow until he realized it was cushioned by something. Had a piece of the chair gone with him?

It was like time froze once his rolling finally came to a stop. Glass and metal was scattered around him, the stench of burning rubber far stronger than whatever cologne Sephiroth had doused himself in earlier that day. Cloud groaned painfully, a stabbing pain radiating up his sides, his head throbbing like a sin. He was alive- broken, but alive. Was this the work of his previous prayer?

Cloud tried to weakly reach upwards and check if his head was bleeding, but he couldn't move. His arms were pinned to his sides, his body barely responding at all. No, that wasn't it, he could still feel his fingers- something was holding him in place. 

After fighting against his instinct, Cloud blearily forced his eyes open, attempting to survey his surroundings despite the swirling pain and smoke. Sephiroth was holding him, his arms behind his back and wings curled around him in a protective clutch. Cloud still couldn't move because he was still being held so tightly. Sephiroth had protected him, even to his own possible injury. 

”S-Sephiroth,” Cloud groaned, his head tucked neatly into his neck; they were so close, it was almost as if they were embracing. It was scary to imagine that he might be dead if not for the General. Cloud could taste blood in his mouth, he needed to transform, or more importantly, find a hospital. 

Sephiroth drunkenly drew his head up, his hair matted and everywhere. Cloud spit out a piece when he thought the General wasn’t looking. He blinked at Cloud, his usually intense green eyes dimmed with shock. Despite it all, the only visible injury Cloud could make out on his face was a small scratch under his eye, blood barely drawn. 

Of course a car flipping over barely scratched the General. What had he expected? He was fearing death and Sephiroth rolled out looking like he was one minute away from walking down the runway. Wasn't Cloud supposed to have been Gaia's chosen?

“Monster attack, though it seems to have vanished for the moment,” Sephiroth whispered, his voice low and eyes scanning their surroundings. He continued his survey before his gaze settled back on Cloud, his eyes widening as if he was only seeing the blonde for the first time. He stared at him as if he had expected him to be in better condition after getting flung out of a moving vehicle. “You…”

The blonde lifted an irritated brow, daring him to question his identity again. Although the situation had been unprecedented and highly dangerous; it oddly worked in favour of hiding Cloud’s identity. How could Sephiroth suspect him of heroism if he was knocked out from whatever environmental hazard had hit them?

Another benefit was the fact they were on a podunk road with no nearby casualties, or civilians to involve in the fight. Wherever Sephiroth had intended to take Cloud seemed far away, maybe even near the outskirts of Midgar. Thank goodness that trip had ended early.

“Not looking so good,” Cloud murmured to himself, lifting a shaky hand to touch his spikes. His fingers came back bloodied. Sephiroth fluttered his wings weakly before trying to stretch them out completely. Seemingly pristine black wings caught the light of their burning car, elegant and completely uninjured. Was this the regular for him? Cloud blinked, his eyes lowering. He needed to get control of his dizziness. Too bad he was too business minded. “I hope you're planning on covering my hospital bills after this.” 

Cloud attempted to stand, but his legs were trembling under his weight- his hands too. His body was in shock, even if he was in control of his mind. He had never been in such a severe accident, the only reason he was probably even able to stand was the Nibel Wolf in him. 

“Being a hero puts you on the frontline regardless, however your injuries will be covered. I'm not inhumane.” Sephiroth said matter of factly, and suddenly very close. When Cloud stumbled, in his steps, Sephiroth picked him up easily, one hand at his waist and the other hooked under his knees. The blonde scowled hard.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Cloud growled, his senses returning to him. He was too weak to not let himself be pressed into Sephiroth’s chest, and while he could understand the importance of it when they were rolling around in a flipped car, he couldn’t see why he had to be carried right now. He had barely been given the chance to walk. “I’m not whatever the hell you think I am, so just leave me be. You have bigger threats to be dealing with anyway.”

Ignoring him, Sephiroth took flight, his massive wings slicing through the air, the blue sky passing by them in a blur. Cloud hadn’t expected the sudden increase in altitude, his stomach lurching. Without a single thought, he grabbed ahold of Sephiroth’s neck, his breath leaving him and head throbbing too hard to curse.  

The flight was over in what seemed like a prolonged, nauseous instant. Cloud wasn’t sure how far they’d gone, but all motion had stopped, including that of his now ailing stomach, and his heart was sure to be soon after. He glared at the General, even as he set him down gently, careful not to press any of his wounds.

They were on the roof of what seemed to be an abandoned convenience store. Where exactly in Midgar had Sephiroth taken him?

”You can release my neck now, Cloud. We've returned to the ground.”

The blonde looked upwards, meeting a very amused gaze and cursed under his breath, very disgruntled.

”Next time you decide to pull some shit like that, there better be a warning.”

Sephiroth smiled, his cat-like eyes crinkling prettily. Damn those good alien genetics. 

“I wasn't envisioning a ‘next time’, however, if you'd like me to carry you again, I'm sure we can arrange for it.”

” Ass ,” Cloud muttered, drawing a hand down his face. It was apparently only one side of his head that was gushing blood. His skull wasn't cracked, he wouldn't have to tell Tifa his brain was damaged. “Don't you have something to be doing?”

“I'm just ensuring the status of an involved civilian. Anyhow, my PHS was destroyed during the accident, which means I can't get you treatment until the current threat is dealt with.” Sephiroth paused, eyeing him as if he expected him to up and run at any second. “Your injuries aren't too severe considering you are able to maintain your usual… attitude , however that doesn't mean you should be moving extensively. Stay here, I'll be back in a moment.”

“Not in good enough condition to go roof jumping anyway.” Cloud grumbled, situating himself against the edge of the building. While his body was still trembling and aching to no tomorrow if he didn't move too fast, the pain in his head was actually tolerable. “Take your time.”

With his assurance given, Sephiroth bowed his head and took to the skies again, looking every part the hero he was marketed as. The impression was only lost when he decided to open his big mouth. 

Now came Cloud's biggest dilemma. With Sephiroth out of sight, he could do one of three things: he could transform and assist him as Wolf, and take the opportunity to disassociate Cloud from himself. Or, he could transform and get the hell away, preferably to a hospital, but Sephiroth would surely come hunting him down one way or another… The third, and most attractive option, was just passing out here and enjoying the blissful, much needed rest he hadn’t got the previous night.

Yup, after thinking it through, he only really had one option to choose from. Cloud pulled the dice from his pocket and rolled them, sighing in his heart. After an instant, magic washed over him, transforming his ragged hoodie into his usual purple getup. And just to make sure the bloody gash in his head was covered, Cloud loosed his tied hair and rubbed at some of the more obvious bruises and scratches on his arms. Hopefully that did something.

He would make his entrance, reason with Sephiroth, and then escape early so he could sit on the roof again. 

After contemplating for a moment, Cloud leapt from the roof and landed on all fours, his chest aching. He could do this. Sephiroth, while militant and often a snarky bastard, seemed concerned about Midgar above all. That meant he would be sympathetic to their cause if Cloud phrased things the right way. This initially terrible day was hopefully about to yield some very good results.

When Sephiroth returned to the wreckage, he was still unable to find the monster that had provoked his ire. Even with his enhanced senses and exceptional reaction time, the creature had been moving swiftly, and in his haste to save Cloud, Sephiroth had barely gotten a glance at the large blur. It wasn’t often such a large creature could hide in plain sight.

 Before he had a chance to examine further, Sephiroth felt something approaching him from the rear, and turned instantly, Masamune drawn and his eyes fierce. There was a person in need waiting for him. He didn’t have time for games. 

Sauntering towards him, with no weapon at the ready, was none other than the mysterious blonde hero Sephiroth had been assaulted by the previous night. The one he had assumed to be Cloud Strife. But the person approaching him now walked with strength in his steps, a steadfast sort of surety behind his intentions. It was a far cry from the near unconscious man he had taken to the roof.

“I won’t ask you to lower your blade,” He announced, raising his arms in what Sephiroth assumed meant peace. Unfortunately, he had learned quite well the night before that this particular person didn’t need weapons to attack. As long as his teeth were intact, he was a potential threat. “I will ask that you hear me out. You said you had questions for me last night. If you listen to me, I’ll listen to you. I’m not your enemy.”

Sephiroth glared hard at the person, scrutinizing every inch of his exposed face. It was odd enough the man seemed to have animalistic features such as claws, ears, and a tail, but his face was also obscured by an infuriating mask. With such long, unruly hair it was truly difficult to ascertain anything about his true identity. Even if he had been so sure that it had been Cloud, it truly would be an impossible feat for someone in his current state to come forward like this. 

“Why do you fight?” Sephiroth asked, his blade lowered, though not sheathed. His eyes never left the blonde. “And how did you find this location?”

The blonde crossed his arms, seemingly satisfied with their distance and cleared his throat. 

“I fight for the planet and everything on it. That includes the people and creatures that coexist together. As for the location… Well, I’m pretty sure these monsters are targeting me. I was driving around here when I caught sight of something in my rearview mirror. They go where I go.”

Sephiroth nodded once, his eyes flickering. Such a generic answer was of no use to anyone. Anyone could parade around with good and honorable objectives. The truth of their character and intentions were often only revealed in the means they executed to reach said goals. He readied his blade once again. 

“You refuse to kill the monsters and attack me when I attempt to. How exactly does this coincide with what you just said?”

“The monsters that attack the city are just victims of the humans. You saw what I did at Shinra- I separated victim from parasite…” The blonde paused, flipping a bang of his hair and stepping forward. Sephiroth wasn’t sure if it was for emphasis, but the blue of his eyes seemed to shine; he truly believed his own words. “All you have to do is put names to the metaphor.”

Sephiroth blinked. It was clear what the blonde was insinuating. If ‘victim’ in his terms referred to the animals, ‘parasite’ clearly referred to the Shinra Science department. Why else would that odd animatronic cat have appeared to collect the so-called parasite? Both this hero and the cat were clearly victims of the department, the only question was what they planned to do regarding it. 

“Shinra is experimenting on animals?” Sephiroth voiced aloud, ever watchful of the blonde’s reactions. 

“Right on,” The vigilante said, placing his tightened fist in his palm. He began pacing after that as if he wasn’t able to stand still, as if he was desperate to have his piece heard. “They take innocent animals, infect em’,  and send them out to terrorize the city. Shinra gets themselves rich off of monsters, property damage, and potential hospital visits.”

“I wouldn’t be in the position to help anyone if experimentation hadn’t occurred, and I have a feeling you’re no different.” Sephiroth eyed him testily, taking his own step forward. It was intentionally meant to threaten him. “While Shinra's produced many failures, they've also succeeded multiple times. We’re both living proof of that. If you’re proposing to remove Shinra, how can you be sure someone far worse won’t replace them?”

The blonde creased his brow at that, running a hand through his bangs as if he was exhausted at the turn their conversation had taken. He didn’t seem to be able to understand his earlier movement, as he too took his own step forward. 

“Do you not resent Shinra for controlling your life and forcing you into this?” Then as if he realized something, the blonde narrowed his icy blue eyes and thinned his lips, his arms crossing over his chest. “Maybe you like being a hero, that's great, but can you really say you’re okay knowing they’re endangering innocents for gil?”

“What exactly is it you’re proposing we do, then?”

“I’m not asking you to assassinate the president, I’m asking you to curb your blows when you attack the monsters. You incapacitate, I purify- and all the while you can think about what you should be doing for yourself.” The blonde sighed, taking a step backwards, the strength of his posture diminishing for a moment. His eyes flashed upwards, oddly hopeful. “You’re not just a killing machine for some rich company, I’m willing to bet that you’re actually a decent guy. Take a chance at protecting life instead of taking it. It’ll be worth the extra minute it takes you, I swear.” 

 Sephiroth raised his brows, his anger from the previous night nearly gone. 

“You’re unexpectedly earnest… I appreciate that.”

A low growl resounded through the area, sending the scrap metal and rocks trembling- almost as if the earth was about to split open. Despite Sephiroth’s intense survey of the area, he still failed to ascertain where exactly the sound was emanating from, where the force was being produced. 

“Wanna give it a try then?” The blonde asked, drawing his largest blade and juggling materia in his opposite hand. Before Sephiroth had a chance to answer, he closed the distance between them and gave him a slightly bashful smile. His canines were indeed very sharp. “Sorry about punching you yesterday. Now that we’re on the same page, I promise it won’t happen again.”

“If you recall, you also bit my arm,” Sephiroth reminded him, unamused. His summon materia provided him plate armour made of pure, shining mythril- a material known to be indestructible. But this hero, with only his teeth, had not only penetrated the armour, but also left faint marks on Sephiorth’s arm. “But know, my line of questioning has just begun. Once this threat is-”

The blonde suddenly put a finger to his own lips, and moved to squat as the ground began to shake. Sephiroth finally realized it. The reason he hadn’t been able to find the monster with a visual check was because it wasn’t within his line of sight. They were standing on top of it. The monster must have moved in Sephiroth’s previous absence.

As the creature began to shift, Sephiroth was able to maintain his balance with ease, his wings fluttering every now and then as he attempted to take some distance. It was a massive beast, with a carapace made of solid emerald plates, stacked heavily atop an emerging leathery head that looked more snake than turtle. The creature was horned as well, with two beady, glowing eyes. Sephiroth had never encountered something like it.

“It's an Adamantaimai,” The blonde said after one glance, scrambling a bit to maintain his level of balance on the smooth shell. It felt so painfully obvious to Sephiroth that the blonde was untrained, and yet, he wasn’t incompetent. Perhaps luck wasn’t something he was taking into account enough. 

Flying backwards, Sephiroth unleashed a rapid flurry of blows toward the beast, his wings flapping as the creature slunk back into its shell rapidly. Despite its lumbering size, Sephiroth had realized firsthand how swiftly it could move. It had practically come from nowhere when it had rammed into their car initially.

Once his strikes had hit, and done relatively nothing to the Adamantaimai’s shell, the creature emerged once again, glaring towards him with malice. With strength Sephiroth didn’t know he possessed, the blonde swung his massive blade hard into the centre of the creature’s shell, a wave of force releasing an impressive amount of pressure outward. The Adamantaimai croaked, thrashing hard against his blade, but Sephiroth was sure he caught sight of a massive crack drawing itself down its carapace.

“Once more!” He called, flying towards the head of the beast. With a flash of his sword he buzzed about the Adamantaimai’s head, distracting him with scattered strikes and hurried blows. After a second, Sephiroth felt another wave of force and this time felt his wings catch the air, forcing him backward a few meters. Even with sufficient distance between himself and the Adamantaimai, he could see a large chunk of shell fall away, collapsing into the dirt. Another piece was soon to follow, a sea of dirt clouding the air as it met the ground. 

“Hey! Shell’s gone, if you wanna do your thing!” The blonde called, sailing down one of the crumbling pieces. Sephiroth sailed the winds to make his way to his side, his hair whipping past his shoulders like a stream of pure silver. 

“Is there a specific place I should strike?” He inquired, eying the blonde up close for the first time. He had to be a male in his early twenties that was not fully employed and weighed less than 160 pounds. Unfortunately, that assessment did little to point him in any given direction.

“Just try and knock him out!” The blonde shouted in response, stumbling as his feet once again met solid earth. Sephiroth had to stop himself from swooping down and saving him as he would any normal civilian. This was a somewhat trained hero he was indulging for the time being. He wasn’t a civilian and he most certainly wasn’t a Second Class.

“Specific, aren’t you?” Sephiroth muttered, returning to the skies. His directions were another clear indicator of a complete lack of training, but he complied regardless. It wasn’t often Sephiroth went out onto the field with the intention to incapacitate rather than kill, however, that didn’t mean it was a difficult change for him to execute.

 Instead of flying directly toward the head or heart of the beast, Sephiroth decided to begin near its now exposed abdomen; a sensitive area that didn’t necessarily constitute death if damaged. After striking about senselessly for a moment, Sephiroth caught a voice on the wind which was shortly followed by a quickly changing visual.

“You can stop! I’ve got it from here!” A moment after his words, the Adamantaimai shrunk, falling atop his boot in a much more safe, small form. It was simply a turtle, no bigger than his palm. A tiny green sprite flickered about too, phasing in and out of Sephiroth’s vision like a badly projected image. The blonde hero sliced the creature in two before he spoke again. Sephiroth stared, taken aback for a moment. “Not bad, right?”

Despite the fact he wanted to deny him, he couldn’t help but acknowledge the sense of rightness that grew in his chest. Like many of the past monster attacks, the monster wasn’t necessarily attacking civilians, or going out of its way to approach humans. Sephiroth had often felt like many of his battles had been quite one-sided, almost as if the monster wasn’t so much a monster as it was a bewitched sufferer, a victim in its own right. The Adamantaimai had plenty of opportunities to attack them, and yet it had merely fumbled about hiding in its shell when given the chance. The only real attack it had done was when it had collided with their car, but even that hadn’t seemed intentional. 

“I- I suppose,” Sephiroth conceded, sheathing his sword and lowering his eyes. It wasn’t something he often did. He didn’t let his own bewilderment hinder him for long. He grabbed ahold of the blonde’s arm when he remembered himself, mind focused. “Now that one conflict is solved, we must continue our conversation from before: State your full name and Shinra ID number.”

The man looked shocked at Sephiroth’s sudden contact, flinching hard enough to make Sephiroth question how much strength he had used to grab him. 

“I’ve actually got work at like, now, so I’m kind of busy today. Maybe we’ll catch each other next monster?” The blonde looked down at the wrist Sephiroth was holding and shrugged looking falsely sympathetic. Sephiroth pointedly noticed he was not wearing a watch. “My time’s up, seriously.”

“Disclose your identity and I’ll consider it enough for today,” Sephiroth demanded, wholly reasonable as he often was. 

“I’m Midgar’s new, most reluctant environmentalist,” he said, pulling his arm back and grinning. Sephiroth could practically hear the sarcasm dripping from his voice. “Call me Wolf.”

Chapter Text

Cloud felt his insides roiling, his head pounding, and his legs screaming, screaming at him for stillness, for reprieve. He rolled onto the roof, gasping for breath he wasn’t sure he would ever get back in this lifetime. He had blizzaga’d Sephiroth on his way out in hopes it might slow the man, and he frankly wasn’t sure if his amazing plan had worked out. Should he have even come back to the roof? Could he even try running after everything?

“You seem to be in worse condition than when I left you.” A deep voice said in way of a greeting. Sephiroth was back. Great. And he wasn’t mentioning Wolf. That was even better. Turned out the Nibel wolf was faster than whatever alien genetics the General had received. That was definitely something he was going to remember.

“I’m fine,” Cloud wheezed, curling into himself for a moment. The more pathetic he looked the better. Wolf had walked out of the last monster fight unscathed to Sephiroth’s knowledge. Cloud on the other hand was here, dying. “I just need a coffin--”

“Can you walk?” The General asked, completely ignoring his exaggeration and lifting him somewhat gently from the plaster roof. For being a hero, he could really work on being a little more sensitive. Cloud leaned into him unabashedly, his genuine exhaustion an easy thing to emphasize. “I suppose I shouldn’t have asked.”

“I shouldn’t have to ask if I’m still being arrested after this either, right?” The blonde asked, his breath suddenly restored, and eyes no longer fluttering. Sephiroth glared down at him, completely unamused. Cloud coughed roughly, making sure to pretend to grab ahold of the General’s shoulder for support. “Or could we at least schedule our meeting to a later date?” 

Without answering, Sephiroth proceeded to lift Cloud up, his hands once again in places the blonde hated to imagine. It was fine. This was for Gaia’s sake, who he apparently served wholeheartedly now. 

“I’m going to fly you to the nearest hospital. Is that alright with you Cloud ?” Sephiroth asked, his voice low and nearly sweet. It was obvious that he was making fun of him, but Cloud had to bear it. His pride was gone in service of Gaia, and it was only his second day. Who knew what he was going to lose next. 

“Depends…” Cloud paused for a moment, hoping Sephiroth would inquire and give him a moment to secure his victory, but found himself cursing instead as they began to rise in the air. His arms nearly flew back to Sephiroth’s neck, his palms sweating and feet tingling in nervous anticipation. If he vomited, he hoped it was on Shinra’s asshole General. “If you want to kill me, you could have easily left me down there-”

“Fortunately for you, our meeting after your hospital visit requires you to be quite alive,” Sephiroth smirked, their eyes locking. Cloud wasn’t sure what it was with the General and staring contests, but for some reason he was always the one who ended up looking away first. Sephiroth apparently had no idea how awkward it was for whatever poor idiot he locked in.

As much as Cloud wanted to pull away and curse him to death, he took a painful breath in through his lungs and gritted his teeth. Wolf had made peace with the General, what did Cloud have to say?  Unfortunately, annoying, egotistical Sephiroth had to know every detail of every situation he was or was not involved in, and he had to know now . Gaia forbid him from being in actual trouble and stuck with Shinra’s vicious general- Cloud could be in his coffin and Sephiroth would still be pestering him about his goddamn case or whatnot. 

“I thought you had coffee this morning,” Cloud grumbled instead of all the hateful things he wanted to spew at the man’s face. He may have called him ‘decent’ earlier, but that was clearly a far stretch. “Can’t you give me a break?”

“Breaks are earned, not given.” Sephiroth informed him, taking flight. He said it in a way that took Cloud back for a moment- made him really think about what he knew of the General, and how much he didn’t know. Before when Wolf had been pushing him, Sephiroth hadn’t denied that he was Shinra’s puppet, but he hadn’t seemed eager to oppose the company either. He had seemed uncharacteristically un-opinionated on the topic. Cloud could only assume the worst. 

“Where’d you pick that up from?” The blonde asked, his iron grip slowly releasing as he acclimated to flight. It didn’t calm his stomach down much, but he didn’t exactly like grabbing onto the current bane of his life either. It messed with him. 

“Clearly the idea of discipline is lost on you,” Sephiroth said, smirking, though it wasn’t like before. Cloud could easily see the amusement didn’t reach his eyes; they were green and cold, like jade. “But that's enough. I’m going to begin descending. Your stomach may feel-”

Cloud squeezed Sephiroth’s neck as he felt his soul try to climb its way out of his body, his head aching before he was slapped in the face with another wave of nausea. His body tensed so hard, he barely even realized they had reached ground. He blinked his watering eyes, shoving off of Sephiroth weakly.

“Gods, I’m never travelling with you again,” Cloud said without thinking, his feet carrying him in some random direction before Sephiroth put a strong hand on his shoulder, steering him towards a large, white industrial building. Even with his eyes blurring his vision, Cloud could tell it was a hospital. Bright red letters read, ‘Kalm Medical Emergency’ so that was where they had ended up. “You’re terrible at driving and flying.”

“If that incentivizes you to follow the law, I have no complaints.” Sephiroth said rather warmly, as they entered. Cloud felt like rolling his eyes, but opted to just sink into the nearest chair in the lobby instead. If he dared to roll his eyes right now, they’d probably roll straight out of his head. 

The General, who had maintained his transformed angel-state, walked forward gaining the attention of both staff and patients alike. Whatever small-town hospital he had picked, it wasn’t far out enough to erase the presence of Shinra, much less their golden hero. Cloud distinctly heard gasps and whispers before Sephiroth’s own voice began. He was speaking to someone, but he could already feel himself dozing off. Their conversation sounded jumbled and unimportant in his ears, like warbled imitations of words.

When Cloud was able to force his eyes open, he thanked Gaia he had because Sephiroth’s hand was very close to his cheek and only looked like it was getting closer. Part of him wanted to doze back off and forget about him, but the other half of him, the Nibel Wolf probably, forced him awake.

“What’re you doing ?” Cloud growled, catching the approaching hand with his own, his IV getting caught around the General’s too long arm. Cloud didn’t even flinch when he felt the pull of the needle against his skin. “Were you just about to slap me?” 

“I was about to gently rouse you from your sleep. I was not going to slap you,” Sephiroth informed him, a light dusting of rose creeping up his cheeks. Cloud felt himself gawk. Sephiroth had been about to slap an injured hospital patient awake. What would the press do if they got wind of this? “I simply wanted to inform you I’ll be stepping out for a bit. I need to contact some of my colleagues, however I’ll return back in about an hour’s time.”

“You could have just left,” Cloud sighed, leaning back into his pillow. He was wearing a hospital gown now, his original clothes discarded somewhere nearby hopefully. He hadn’t removed his magical dice from his pockets after all. “If I’m asleep when you get back, don’t touch me.”

“With how you sleep, you won’t know whether I touch you or not.” Sephiroth said, his voice dropping an octave and making Cloud feel an annoying heat crawl up his skin. It was annoying that his domineering tone and seductive tone sounded nearly the same. “That could be potentially dangerous for you.”

“Get out already,” Cloud grumbled, sighing with relief when the door finally closed. An hour wasn’t a lot of time, but hopefully it would be enough for him to do what he needed to do. 

After waiting around for what felt like an eternity, Cloud roughly jumped out of his bed and pulled his IV stand alongside him to make his way outside the cramped confines of his overly sterile room. After passing a few very unnerved looking nurses, he came to a stop in front of a very sad, rough looking payphone. Not even Shinra could tap something this old… At least, that was what he was hoping.

After punching in Tifa’s number, Cloud tapped his bare toes against the stained, white floor of the hospital impatiently. Tifa always picked up her phone, she even answered scam callers, much to Denzel’s amusement. After a few painful seconds, her familiar voice rung through.

“Hello? Who is this?”

“Tifa, its Cloud I-”

“Cloud?!” Tifa cried before her voice quieted; she had probably pulled the phone away from her mouth. Sometimes it still shocked Cloud that someone as kind as Tifa could exist. “Guys, Cloud is on the phone!”

For a moment, Cloud had to pull the phone away from his ear as a raucous buzz came through, nearly deafening him. He discreetly covered his mouth with his hand to hide his growing smile. 

“Cloud! We’re coming to save you!” A high pitched voice squeaked, most likely Denzel. 

“Save me?” Cloud asked, relaxing for the first time in hours. He couldn’t stop the smile from fully crawling onto his face.

“You were incarcerated last time we saw you,” Vincent grumbled across the phone, as a reminder. He was straightforward as ever. Cloud hadn’t realized Vincent had been acquainted with Tifa and everyone yet. They were moving fast. “You told Red to break you out.”

Cloud blinked himself out of his stupor and cleared his throat, his hand suddenly scratching at his neck. 

“Well, uh, yeah. The situation has changed a little…” If he told them he was at a hospital, Tifa and Barret were sure to freak so Cloud decided he would try and be more direct about what they should be doing rather than any details about himself. “Tell Red to contact Cait Sith. Have him come to the cafe and I’ll meet up with you in a few.”

“How’d the hell you break yerself outta’ prison?!” Cid shouted, forcing Cloud to flinch away from the payphone. Despite being wholly ready to answer him, Cid started again before Cloud had the chance. “Oh, it's the dog-boy in ya, isn't it? You’ve gotta’ show us that some-”

“Cloud!” Barret shouted loudly, clearly interrupting Cid. For a moment, a chorus of voices started up, none wholly coherent within the noise. It was only when Barret shouted again that Cloud could understand. “Where the hell are you? Denzel and I will pick you up!”

 “I'm within Kalm's city limits,” Cloud murmured, ripping his IV out and rubbing away the blood. “Don't drive, ask Vincent to come get me. I'll be waiting at the Weapons Shop in ten.”

“You sayin’ something about my driving-”

”I'll see you there,” Cloud said, barely giving Barret a chance to finish. With as much haste as he could muster in his pathetic state, Cloud  hung up the phone and hastily made his way back to his designated room. 

 “Uhm, excuse me sir, I'm going to have to ask you to- ” The nurse blinked at him nervously as Cloud drew up to her, his own eyes suddenly wide. 

“Any chance you could point me to my belongings?”

“Well, sir, you’re not currently in shape to be discharged not to mention the General-”

Cloud shook his head, giving his hospital room a wide glance. If he followed his own scent, his clothes should be nearby. Luckily, his things still smelled strongly of burned rubber, and fire- chokingly so.  Ignoring the nurse’s protests, Cloud found his way to his clothes in an open cabinet. While bagged, after a solid examination he could easily tell the dice were still safe in his jeans’ pocket. Sighing, Cloud turned, ready to take his leave only to be stopped by the same, annoyed nurse. 

“Sir, I will ask you to return to your room one last time before I call both security and the General.” She looked at him pointedly, her arched brows raised and severe. In her hands was a shining pair of cuffs.

With the agility of a wolf, Cloud dodged around her and started running at a fair pace, desperate to get to the actual exit of the hospital. The nurse started shouting and running directly after him, her strides laughable compared to his own. Cloud could almost feel wind catching through his hair with the speed he was getting to- with an abrupt yelp, he skidded around a white-coated doctor, and then around a little girl and her family. When he saw the blue sky right outside of a familiar pair of sliding doors, Cloud leapt and rolled, passing through the doors in a rush of blue and blonde. He would change into his normal clothes when he got the chance. 

“Hey stop right there!” A security officer yelled, charging out behind him, his Shinra baton raised and at the ready. 

“You can tell the General he knows where to find me!” Cloud said in passing, his feet slapping against the concrete as he high-tailed it out of the hospital’s parking lot. 

Cloud’s feet nearly had smoke trailing after them by the time he made it to the weapon shop, his hair a wild mess and heart beating ecstatically. He looked around the store wildly before catching sight of Vincent and Barret huddled away in a corner. They approached him before he even had a chance to fully examine his surroundings further.

“You-your-” Barret sputtered a bit before pointing with his prosthetic arm towards Cloud’s waist. “Your tail’s out.”

Cloud looked behind himself, failed to see his tail, and instinctively tried to chase his rear to try and catch a glimpse of the mysterious appendage. When he returned to facing his friends, he blinked, rapidly attempting to understand what had just occurred. Barret stared right back, seemingly at a loss for words himself. 

“We should leave Kalm for the time being. You may fail to catch sight of your tail, but when Shinra does, things will no longer be so calm.” Vincent said grimly, his cape fluttering slightly in the draft. 

Barett narrowed his eyes at him, but in a cascade of raven feathers they were gone once again.

Chapter Text

“Well, lassie, I will admit this job isn’t usually the most highly desired- considering I can’t offer insurance and all- I really do appreciate your enthusiasm for volunteering.” Cait Sith said, a glowing blue materia in his tiny gloved hand. It was one of the materia Reeve had mentioned before- one of the materia that would turn Tifa into some genetic mess like Cloud. 

Cloud had only just tumbled into Seventh Heaven. How could he have imagined Cait Sith would immediately go recruiting, and to Tifa of all people. Cloud dashed forward, nearly tripping as his hospital gown got caught in his legs. 

“Tifa, stop! You can’t use that materia!” 

Both Cait Sith and Tifa looked up suddenly, alarm clear in their widened eyes. In Cait Sith’s case, well, his usually jovial expression didn’t really seem able to change that much, but Cloud could tell he was aiming to display shock. Tifa hastily grabbed the materia from his gloved hand and held it close to her chest, her brows furrowed despite her gaze still being soft. 

“Cloud, you can’t stop me from using this materia.”

“You could get hurt,” Cloud protested, looking at Cid, and then Barret. Only Cloud and Vincent understood what accepting a burden like this did to people. Even after Shinra was defeated, Cloud would still be half dog. Vincent had been ostracized from society for it. Tifa shouldn’t have to suffer for it too.

“Like you’ve been getting hurt everyday, Cloud? You’re in a hospital gown for heaven’s sake!” Tifa said, eyeing him up and down incredulously. Cloud followed her hand movement to look down at himself and felt a bit of heat rise to his cheeks. “If I can help you, I won’t hesitate!”

Before Cloud, or anyone else for that matter, had a chance to get a word in edgewise, a bright flash of magic came from the tiny materia in Tifa’s hand, engulfing Seventh Heaven in an otherworldly glow. Cloud smelled it before he saw her transformation. It was the smell of salt, of the ocean. After a moment, his vision cleared and Tifa stood proudly before him, her skin glittering under the spotted sunlight that managed to peer in through their ivied windows. It took a second, but Cloud realised she wasn’t sparkling- there were tiny scales all over her skin, prismatic and nearly translucent. 

That wasn’t the only thing that had changed: A thin layer of webbing had grown between her fingers, even around her ears making her appear finned and almost fish-like. Her original uniform had transformed too, leaving her in a short turquoise dress and a pair of finned boots. A long pair of fingerless gloves climbed up her arms, poofing outwards near her shoulder, like spiralling arms of coral. 

“Tifa’s a mermaid!” Marlene exclaimed, dashing up to hug her. She picked up Marlene and spun her. “You look so pretty!”

Tifa looked towards him, her warm brown eyes now a striking aquamarine. It was so shocking that Cloud felt his mouth fall open.

“Well what the hell! When are you gonna offer me a materia, you damned cat?” Cid asked, picking up his fallen cigarette. 

“The younger you are, the more receptive you are to receiving foreign cells in your body and adapting to em’. Another important factor is the place you were raised.” Cait Sith hopped out of his seat and began pacing back and forth, his tail twitching as he wagged his finger in explanation. “Both the Nibel Wolf and the White-nosed Dolphin are native to the Nibelheim area, just as these two are.”

Barret scratched the back of his head. “Damn.”

“Are any of you native to Wutai by any chance?”

“Still don’t have enough bodies for your pile? If you’re done with your draft you can start answering some questions to keep your current troops alive.” Vincent said aloud, finally stepping forward. Cloud had almost forgotten he was there with how quiet he was. He drew his gun and placed it on the table, gaining an apprehensive gasp from Tifa. The barrel was pointed directly toward Cait Sith’s animatronic head.  “Sephiroth has been tracking Cloud for days now. He almost incarcerated him and prior to that he almost took his life.”

Denzel blinked suddenly, his eyes wide. 

“Now, just wait a second, okay,” Cloud started, moving to place a comforting hand on the boy’s head. “I may have actually just- I’ve kind of recruited Sephiroth to our cause. Temporarily.”

Vincent raised his dark eyebrows at that, his lips thinning. 

“Didya seduce ‘im in that hospital gown of yers?” Cid asked suddenly, and Cloud choked on the blood that had been about to spurt through his lips. “Aerith’s been tellin’ me all about-”

“What the hell?” Cloud asked, shaking his head to dispel the image that had brought to the forefront of his mind. Where was Shera? When Cid needed to be kept in check, she was the only sure-fire way to get the pilot to shut up.

“Daddy, what does ‘seduce’ mean?” Marlene asked innocently, tugging on Barret’s jacket. Barret looked to Cid with fire in his eyes and revenge in his heart. Cloud might have laughed if it hadn’t been his own pride on the line.  

“That doesn’t mean anything you’ve gotta worry about, sweetheart,” Barret said, still making angry eye contact with Cid. Cloud glared too.

“Does that mean he won’t try to apprehend us during combat anymore?” Red asked, emerging from behind one of the tables. Cloud wanted to kneel down and give him a good scratch behind his ears, but instead chose to remain stoic and awkward. Being accused of seduction in a hospital gown was not a light remark. “Or perhaps it would be more informative to ask what sort of treaty you’ve set in place?”

“He won’t attack us when we’re transformed, and he won’t attack the monster either. He agreed to help us subdue it.” Cloud explained, scratching at his neck. “But for some reason he still suspects me, and I’ve kind of been running from him which makes me look more suspicious.”

“I can try and get him off your tail if that helps,” Cait Sith said, hoisting himself into a seat. Cloud didn’t miss the way Vincent looked distastefully at him. Cait Sith plopped down clumsily and cleared his throat. “And answer the rest of your questions too, of course!”

Vincent, Cloud, and Red made brief eye contact before Cloud sat down in front of him and folded his hands together. He felt a breeze from under his hospital gown and decided to cross his legs, attempting to maintain some modicum of respect. Cid had already practically ruined that for him.

“We accept the initial deal you offered us, but you’ve failed to mention why the transformed animals are actively trying to murder us. Finding and purifying the animals is one thing, and I don’t expect them to not resist, but they also seem to be seeking me out." Cloud scratched his head as he realized how non-coherent his question had sounded when he had decided to voice it aloud. “I guess what I’m trying to ask is what Shinra is aiming to do with the animals? And why they seem to be seeking me out above other civilians?”

“Hmm, I’ll admit, prior to your injections the monster attacks were frequent and random at best. They didn’t seem to target a specific group of people, or a particular sector.” Cait Sith said, kicking his short legs under the table.“I’m still trying to investigate the science department myself, but they’re not exactly the easiest to infiltrate. Your first attack in the parking lot really came as a bit of a shock for me. It’s not often they’re loosed there.”

“Do you have an end goal planned for this mission?” Vincent asked, twisting the gun to once again point at Cait Sith. Tifa put a soft hand on Vincent’s and shook her head.

“Can you please put that thing away, Vincent? If something goes wrong all of us are here. We’ll take care of it.” Tifa smiled at him softly until he complied. “Don’t worry, I’ve got a bit more experience than Cloud. I’m a fully trained martial artist. Cait Sith won’t have a chance.”

“Uh, well,” Cait Sith glanced hesitantly towards Tifa before regaining his bearings and coughing a bit into his gloved fist. “President Shinra seems a good place to end things, doesn’t he?”

“You have lofty expectations of this mission,” Vincent murmured. “And I suppose you expect to take his place once he’s gone? What reason would we have to trust you in such a position?”

Cloud distinctly remembered Sephiroth asking a similar question to Wolf just a few hours back. This mission had been Reeve’s idea in the first place; but that didn't make the question any easier to answer. 

“Well, no, I don’t actually expect to take the place of the president,” Cait Sith said, turning towards Vincent as if he was really looking at him. “I wasn’t hoping to dismantle Shinra completely- I was hoping to open up positions for new leadership.”

“And who did you have in mind?” Cloud asked, his head tilting ever so slightly. If he was reading into Cait Sith’s tone enough, it almost seemed like he intended them to pick up where the missing pieces would be. But that couldn’t be right, could it? Cloud could fight, but he was far from being a leader much less a president.

“Now wait just a minute, Vincent. I think Cait Sith here is startin’ something good,” Barret said, his arm around Marlene’s small shoulders. “Doesn’t sound like all the details are sorted, but by the time this whole thing turns into a reality, he’ll have figured it out. Right?”

Cait Sith sat completely still for a moment, before shuddering back to life and looking around somewhat nervously. 

“Listen, we’ll need to continue this conversation at a later date. I deeply apologize and insist you make a new Wutaian friend.” Cait Sith glanced around before nodding resolutely to himself. “I’ll be back tomorrow! Just you wait!”

And with that, he was dashing out a nearby window, his red cape fluttering behind him.

Chapter Text

Cloud blinked miserably, his eyes nearly drooping before the familiar sound of the entry bell rang.He wasn’t doing deliveries today, but that didn’t mean he could afford to take another day off either. He was working at the bar and wondering when kind, helpful Cait Sith was going to help him pay off his two thousand gil towing fine. Maybe he should ask for a lifetime supply of painkillers too. With Red, and Vincent living with him they were sure to be needed. 

Cloud forced a smile and felt his eye twitch when it was too exaggerated. Maybe he should just stop smiling and change his delivery service motto: ‘Service with a stare’ had an equal amount of alliteration.

“Good morning and welcome to Seventh Heaven. What can I get you this morning?”

“An ounce of truth would be acceptable, but since that is particularly difficult to get from you, I’ll simply ask for a black coffee.” Sephiroth said, smiling gently at him as he saw belated realization grow in Cloud’s half-lidded eyes. Today, Sephiroth was dressed in an emerald sweater, with a warm coloured trench coat lined with some dead animal’s fur. Cloud was almost positive that selling that jacket would get him his motorcycle back. He also noticed that the scratch from the day before was gone and suddenly had the desire to acquaint the General with his claws, teeth, and swords. Was a little justice too much to ask for?

“You want truth? I feel like shit. I also feel like they don’t give you enough to do at work.” Cloud hastily grabbed a disposable cup and poured the drip coffee in before angrily sliding a matching lid beside it. He purposefully did not offer a hand protector with the cup. He hoped Sephiroth got burned. “If you don’t want anything else, I can ring you up.”

Red snorted from the bench he was sitting at, his tail flicking though his expression was hidden. Vincent was sitting beside him, unmoving. Cloud had eventually assumed they were both asleep, napping the day away just like he wanted to. If Vincent had been awake, Cloud might have singalled a shot or two near Sephiroth’s stupid coat.

“Despite your beliefs, I’m not here for you.” Sephiroth said, completely undaunted by Cloud’s honesty; he did look amused. If Cloud decided to spit on his nice jacket, he was sure the man would flinch. “I wanted coffee so I went to a coffee shop. I apologize if that upsets you, Cloud.”

Sephiroth didn’t look the least bit apologetic. His full lips were pulled into a smirk, his eyes never leaving Cloud’s despite the blonde’s subtle attempts to move them both towards the register. After trying and failing for a moment longer, Cloud gave up. He left Sephiroth to sit at the bar with his to-go cup and went to prepare take-out orders and pretend like he was busy at seven in the morning. Tifa loved her job and did a majority of the prep-work the night before. Cloud had it easy at the bar, which is why it was the only position she had agreed to let him work in his current condition. 

After an unbearable stretch of two minutes where Sephiroth decided he was going to stare a void into Cloud’s back, the blonde turned and glared hard at him. 

“Don’t you have something better to be doing?”

“I would like a scone please,” Sephiroth said before tapping his emptied coffee cup. Cloud looked down at it with indignation and then looked toward the coffee pitcher which sat innocently, just  a few inches from Sephiroth’s reach. He could easily grab it and pour himself a cup of coffee. Taking an enormously deep breath, Cloud felt some of his irritation melt away as the smell of hot mocha and rich coffee soothed his senses. Oh, and there was the strong scent of sandalwood and mahogany- Cloud stopped inhaling as he realized the toxins he had happily been intaking were from none other than Sephiroth who loved dousing himself in cologne. As soon as their peace treaty was up, Cloud himself would test his combustibility. All he needed was a match.

“Blueberry, cranberry-orange, or strawberry?” He asked monotonously, moving towards Tifa’s illustrious and beautiful pastry assortment. Recently, Barret had begun helping her with her baked goods and Cloud would be the first to admit they were better together than apart. He might take a scone himself, later in the day at least. 

“Your recommendation,” Sephiroth said, tucking a strand of his silver hair behind his ear. Cloud took another deep breath and chose a cranberry orange scone, decorated by a drizzle of icing, and enough coarse sugar to satisfy Marlene’s sweet tooth. He placed it in front of Sephiroth and tried to think of a way to get the man out of the cafe. Pulling the fire alarm should only be his last resort.

“Cranberry orange, enjoy,” Cloud said out of habit before almost escaping successfully. Unfortunately for him, the General was apparently feeling talkative and cleared his throat in a way that clearly meant to refill his coffee cup again. When Sephiroth got up to inevitably use the toilet after consuming his next five cups of coffee, Cloud was going to put a tack on his seat, or maybe spit in his cup. The tack felt more like retribution.

“Did you bake these?” Sephiroth asked conversationally, taking a very small bite of the scone. Cloud, who could eat one of Tifa’s scones in one dangerously large bite, scrunched up his nose and then remembered himself. “They’re quite good.”

“Did you actually come here with nothing to do?” Cloud asked instead of answering. Sephiroth looked up at him from the shadow of his once again cascading hair and smirked fully, his emerald eyes crinkling as if Cloud had said something funny. 

“Does my being here really bother you so much, Cloud?” Sephiroth leaned his cheek on his palm then, tilting his head slightly upwards. “Or are your actions finally making you feel the weight of guilt?”

Cloud narrowed his eyes at the statement, shaking his head as if the General was spewing nonsense. To be honest, that was the exact reason Sephiroth peeved him so badly. Cloud couldn’t be figured out- not without implicating Tifa, Seventh Heaven, and possibly even Reeve. That would put them all in jeopardy, Cloud himself included, and he was already struggling enough. 

“When you’re tired of wasting your time on a nobody like me, I’ll buy you a coffee myself.”

Sephiroth raised a brow at that, an idea suddenly flickering to life in his alien eyes. Cloud almost wanted to groan and pull at his own spikes. Why had he decided to say anything at all?

“In that case it would only be right for me to share my successes as well. When I prove your identity to be what it is, I’ll buy you dinner.” When Cloud felt his own jaw fall open, Sephiroth smiled and crossed his legs, infuriatingly smug. “I hope you’re free tonight.”

The sun was hanging in the centre of the sky now, bright and scarily warm on an autumn day like this. But that was the most normal thing to have occurred in Midgar for the day. Because for some unfathomable, incomprehensible reason Sephiroth was still sitting at the bar, reading what looked like a textbook. Five hours. Sephiroth had been sitting at the bar for five hours, and Cloud couldn’t even think of kicking him out because he bought another snack and drink every hour. Tifa had even given him a warning look when he nearly snapped at the man. 

Cloud had no problem with any other customers- he managed crowds fairly well and did well under pressure. But having Sephiroth just sitting in the cafe put him off his game, and part of him felt like it was starting to affect his friends too. When Cid had walked in with his monthly supply of carob nuts, he had nearly dropped the box on Tifa’s foot in his shock. And his following exclamation hadn’t been much quieter either: 

“When’s Shinra picking up their favourite UFO?”

Cloud had long known Cid wasn’t capable of whispering. He only wished the pilot would have at least tried. But Cid wasn’t the only one troubled. Sephiroth had nearly made Barret lose his marbles. Marlene wouldn’t quiet down when she caught sight of the General right before school. Denzel, Barret, and Vincent had to practically pull her to his truck. 

Now, finally after what felt like the most painful five hours of his life, Sephiroth had stood up and walked to the bathroom. Cloud couldn’t stifle the shudder of relief that coursed through him in the man’s absence. It was like working with a knife pressed to his throat the entire time, but now he was stuck at another stand still. Cloud had consumed an insane amount of coffee trying to keep himself up today, and now he was just about ready to relieve himself- that was as soon as Sephiroth left the restroom. 

After tapping his foot anxiously, Cloud leaned over the bar to try and catch any glance of the silver haired-man and felt his bladder lurch. He couldn’t hold his piss much longer. 

“Hey, Tifa, I’m just heading to the restroom.” Cloud informed her, tapping her shoulder before scurrying away. After he noted her affirmation, he made a beeline toward the restroom and froze before the door.

He was a grown man. Why should he even be afraid of entering a bathroom with Sephiroth? Cloud blinked a few times to himself, because he was not afraid, cautious was more accurate.  He felt a sudden urge to cross his legs. 

“Are ya’ goin’ in or not, damn?” Cid asked, pushing past Cloud to enter; with the door finally opened, Cloud took his own risk at venturing in. What if Sephiroth was at a urinal? With that thought left unanswered, Cloud swiftly decided that he would be in a stall, regardless of his bowels. 

The bathroom was quiet when Cloud entered. There was no one at the urinals, but each of the three stall doors were shut. They were occupied. Cloud could see Cid’s work boots underneath the first stall, and after nearly squatting he caught sight of Sephiroth’s shined, heeled boots in the second. The third stall had no feet to see. Cloud hastily took shelter in the last stall and nearly exclaimed when he found Vincent squatting on the toilet lid, his cape tied and hanging just above the toilet water. 

While Vincent just continued to look on, Cloud held his stomach as he tried to reign in the sudden need to piss as shock consumed his mind. He furrowed his brows and turned to look at Vincent accusingly, his voice barely above a whisper.

“What are you-?” 

Vincent shook his head, widening his eyes for a moment before going completely still once again.

“That is correct, Genesis. I will not be aiding you in this battle. I have taken today off with a very specific purpose.” Sephiroth said clearly in the stall beside them. Cloud suddenly understood his friend’s motive for standing on the toilet. He was eavesdropping on Sephiroth’s phone call. “You need to subdue the monster, not kill it, and send me a report on all active parties involved in combat.”

“He’s going to see if Wolf appears,” Cloud mouthed to Vincent, who didn’t seem to be the most adept at reading his lips. When Vincent gave him a quizzical look, Cloud tried again even as Sephiroth continued to talk. “He’s going to try to see if Wolf appears while I stay at the bar.”

“Genesis, Zack cannot subdue a monster by himself. He is a SOLDIER second class. Even if you’re lazy, you should be there to supervise. The coast is just a ways off from Shinra Headquarters anyway.” After a brief pause, in which Sephiroth let out a thoroughly annoyed huff, the General spoke again. “I’m looking for someone, and yes it is important. Make sure your report is detailed and specific.”

Cloud felt a nervous shiver crawl down his back. How would he manage the bar and help purify the monster?

“That is correct-”

A plop resounded through the bathroom, a splash following and Cloud only felt his eyes widen a fraction. Was Sephiroth taking a shit while in the middle of a call?

“Whoo boy!” Cid exclaimed from the furthest stall, relief clear in his tone. Cloud felt himself cringe at the exclamation, red crawling up his skin as second-hand embarrassment consumed him. Nope, that was not Sephiroth.

“Excuse me, that will be all, Genesis. I’ll be waiting for your report.” Sephiroth concluded, sounding almost unfazed. A quick examination of Vincent told Cloud he was the only one who had apparently had any reaction to Cid.

With his phone call finished, Cloud heard not one, but two stall doors swing open and nearly stopped breathing.

“What the hell’re you lookin’ at? Never taken a shit before?” Cid asked to what must have been a stone-walled Sephiroth. Cloud almost wanted to laugh if he wasn’t waiting for the General’s answer in such painful anticipation. He still had to piss, dammit.

“I don’t usually exclaim when I am,” The General responded rather coldly, moving to wash his hands at the sink. Cid answered that with a very gruff grunt before muttering to himself about Shinra despite the General standing next to him. 

“I need to inform Tifa about this,” Vincent whispered, his voice hidden fully by the sound of running water. Cloud nodded, trying to attempt some semblance of seriousness.

With that said, Vincent jumped off the toilet and opened the stall door, exposing Cloud to make awkward eye-contact with both Sephiroth and Cid in the mirror directly ahead of the stalls. Cloud had never slammed a door shut faster in his life.

Chapter Text

When Cloud had finally relieved himself and made his way back to the bar, he nearly froze as he realized how much the situation had changed since he had been to the toilet. Reeve had shown up, in person, and was currently engaged in a conversation with the bane of his afternoon. Sephiroth looked up briefly, when he saw him, but made no indication to acknowledge anything that had occurred. Cloud was secretly thankful for that. 

“Hello, could I get one chicken salad sandwich?” Reeve asked, a note of weariness in his tone. Sephiroth only looked up at Cloud, having been interrupted by Reeve’s order.

“Of course,” Cloud nodded, smiling amiably despite his jittery thoughts. “Can I get you anything else, sir?”

Reeve looked like he had quite a bit more to ask for, but shook his head, clearing his throat roughly. 

“I’m good, thank you. Though, it would only be right for me to inform you that there is a- uh, a Shinra investigation team examining the building and ensuring everything is in standard. You can speak to the head investigator right out back.”

Cloud nodded again, very intentionally swept past Sephiroth, and made his way to the back, nearly walking into Barret on his way to the kitchen. Everyone was in the kitchen, he realized belatedly. They stood in an almost circle, with Vincent perched on the back of a chair. A pan of grilled chicken was sizzling away on an unchecked flame, the buttery smell of freshly baked croissants inviting and warm. 

“Cid is blonde, and I’m assuming somewhat accustomed to combat,” Red said, in the middle of a conversation Cloud could easily piece together. They were discussing a remedy to Sephiroth’s latest ploy in the way of Cid. “Disguised, he could show up alongside Tifa and I, filling Cloud’s place in the report.”

“You want me to dress up as a wolf-boy? Just to be clear, I ain’t gonna be sharin’ a stall with another man just cause’ I’m pretendin’-” Cid started.

“What?” Tifa asked, her eyes round.

“We, uh, there's another problem.” Cloud said, stepping around Barret to announce himself. That was one thing he could live without telling Tifa. She would probably live happier without knowing it too. “Reeve’s out front. I think he’s brought stuff for us.”

“That damn general’s still out there, isn’t he?” Barret said, shaking his head. “We gotta’ get him out of here.”

 Cloud nodded, furrowing his brows. 

“Well, I think we need to take care of the monster attack first. Tifa, Red, and Cid should head out now. Barret and I will manage the cafe, and Vincent you should go out back and deal with Reeve’s shipment.”

“We’ll be back in a jiffy, Cloud,” Tifa promised him, her eyes glittering. She was always quick on the uptake. “And if we’re not, Aerith is coming in at three. She’ll be able to help you two with everything, okay?”

Barret nodded solemnly, his posture tense and arms crossed. Cloud briefly thought about putting a supportive hand on his arm for reassurance, but ended up crossing his own arms instead. It was going to be hell running the entire cafe with only two people. Cloud couldn’t even remember a time when Seventh Heaven had run with only two people working its counters, but they didn’t have much of a choice. Sephiroth wasn't giving them one.

Zack swung his sword hard, slashing into a wall of water rather than any monster, and then lost his footing as water washed over him, salty and bitter. When he resurfaced again, he was no longer standing on the shore, with salt squelching between his toes, he was floating with no sand in sight. 

“You’ve a piece of dead coral in your bangs, puppy,” Genesis said, flying by, his singular black wing only flecked with a few glimmering drops of water. Zack wanted to chuck his sword at him, but found it to be missing in the recent deluge. He fixed him with a weary gaze instead. 

“How’re we supposed to get this thing? It keeps diving back into the ocean! My sword already got washed away!”

“This is why you’re not a First yet,” Genesis tossed him his sword, which was now decorated by a few strands of seaweed, and flapped lazily beside him. “Anyhow, we’re apparently supposed to be receiving some company. Company whom Sephiroth is very interested in.”

Zack spit out a mouthful of seawater that a wayward wave pushed into his mouth and blinked. The last meeting Sephiroth had held had been about the mysterious blonde they had seen in the Shinra parking lot. The very person Zack had written a report on and sworn he didn’t know. Now, after visiting Cloud with Aerith, and really thinking about the situation, he was pretty sure he did know who the blonde in the parking lot was. That did not make him any closer to knowing what he was going to do with that exact piece of information.

“Sephiroth being interested in somebody?” Zack asked conversationally, shaking the water and coral from his hair. Genesis flinched, his lip twitching in annoyance. “That's not usual, huh?”

“Don’t play dumb, Zackary,” Genesis chastised, narrowing his eyes at him. “You know as well as I do who that person is, and his purpose.”

Zack really turned at that, a question on the tip of his tongue, but suddenly the monster cut through the sea into the air, nearly slicing Zack straight in half. Even Genesis dodged roughly, the lower half of his red coat dipping into the salty waves that lapped at him like reaching hands. 

The monster they were facing was a Corvette: a large fish-like creature with blades for scales and fins. They were typically elusive sort of creatures, but for whatever reason this one had shown up and started tormenting innocents on the beach. It had only delved deeper into the sea when Zack and Genesis had pursued it, using the ocean’s unnerving depths as its refuge. 

Despite being ten times their size, the Corvette swam gracefully through the air, each of Genesis’s strikes ringing painlessly against its armour of blades. Zack casted a quick blizzard, hoping to stop the fish from its escape, but the beast dodged the blast of magic agilely, turning rigidly left and nearly slicing Genesis into a thousand tiny pieces. When the First class was finally dunked beneath the sea’s surface, the Corvette followed him, disappearing into the ocean’s depths. Genesis popped up after a minute looking thoroughly pissed. His hair had lost its hours of styling and now dripped sullenly, framing his face and making him look more like a drenched cat than whatever his previous aim had been. Although Zack snickered, he kindly did not mention the mascara running down his cheeks.

“That bastard,” The red-head growled, his sword steaming as he imbued it with fire magic.

“We’ll take care of this and be done,” Zack assured him despite being the younger of the two. After feeling a little out of place he added, “A little water never hurt anybody.”

“I was referring to Sephiroth,” Genesis clarified, glaring at the ocean glumly. Before Zack could respond to that properly, the loud rumble of an engine filled the skies causing both men to look up. “The Goddess descends from the sky, wings of light and dark spread afar…”

An old looking plane with rust-coloured wings swooped past them, near enough to make the water vibrate with the oncoming force. A sudden wave of water drenched Zack again, revealing a finned figure delicately standing above the waves.

“Need some help?” A very familiar woman asked, her eyes nearly reflecting the colour of the ocean perfectly. The plane had dropped someone off. Zack blinked a few times, taking in the sight of her- dark hair, scaled skin… If she didn’t have sea-coloured eyes, or a mask, Zack would have sworn he was looking at Tifa Lockhart. But that couldn’t be right. Tifa worked too many hours a day at Seventh Heaven. That was unless Cloud had something to do with it. 

“Sure thing! I’ll buy you lunch after this,” Zack offered, as Genesis continued to float about despondently. He was slowly drifting further and further away. Zack chose wisely not to call him over. “Seventh Heaven sound like a good spot?”

The girl’s eyes widened for a split second after his comment before neutrality consumed her expression, a sort of weariness entering her posture. She didn’t respond as the Corvette cut through the sky once again, drops of water cascading down its body. A mere second after it emerged, the girl was scaling the monster’s body, using each of its blades as a grip to reach its head. Within a few seconds, she had reached its head and grabbed ahold of the thing, her fists moving far too fast for Zack to appreciate. 

“Not doin’ much fightin’ stuck in the waves are ya?” The pilot of the plane asked, once again hovering near the ocean’s surface. A strong arm reached down to offer help and Zack took it trustingly, a grin pulling at his lips. The pilot was blonde and wearing a very obvious headband with dog ears attached. He wore a pair of orange tinted goggles which only somewhat hid his identity. Zack almost knew he was staring at Cid Highwind and had to do his best not to grin before looking the man in his eyes. Cid handed him a bottle of orange juice.

“Thanks for the pick me up,” Zack said, squeezing his hair out and plopping down beside him. He chugged the bottle and felt an intensity at the back of his neck, but when he looked behind him he saw nothing. The plane rose higher into the air, following after the trail of descending droplets.

“You make sure you mention you saw me, kay’ SOLDIER?” Cid asked, no longer looking at him, but at the wall of clouds they were diving into. Zack could see the Corvette now, it wasn’t going any further up, it was stuck. Most likely enduring the pummeling it was getting from that hero.  “Got ears, and some nice blonde hair. You got that?”

“You bet I did!” Zack exclaimed, saluting the pilot and leaping out of the open door. With a well-placed strike, he shoved his own blade in between the Corvette’s sword-like scales and used his feet to steady himself. The fish writhed, nearly flinging Zack off. “I’ll buy you lunch too, Captain!”

Flashes of light, and smoke flickered around the Corvette’s head, dangerous and bright in the sky. Zack hadn’t realized the girl had brought explosives with her, but quickly realized it wasn’t her. There was something else there, shifting between the clouds and blending with the shadows. A hidden ally Zack couldn’t quite see. Shaking of the thought, he once again pulled out his blizzard materia and sent a swirl of magic climbing up the monster’s body. All of the water that had once clung to the fish’s scales immediately turned to solid ice. 

“Good work!” The girl shouted from above, before striking with a nasty uppercut and surely knocking it out of the actual sky. “Dolphin Blow!”

A massive rush of water rose from the sea, surrounding the girl and beating against the frozen body; the rush of water formed what looked to be the silhouette of a dolphin: grand and poised, striking with all the force of the ocean’s fury. Zack didn’t realise he was falling before his back slammed hard into a waiting pair of arms, the ocean’s rough waves still a way beneath him.

“Since you seemed to get a better grasp of the entire situation, I’ll leave the report writing to you, hm?” Genesis asked, flapping a little shakily under both of their combined weights. Zack grinned wide, shaking his hair out once again. He was in awe, in complete awe.

“I had no idea you could carry me! You should have flown me before-”

“I will drop you into the dark abyss and leave you for fish food if you keep shaking about like an untrained dog.” Genesis snapped, though there was no heat in his eyes. Zack gave him a very soggy slap on the back and jolted when he felt them descend rather jerkily. “Zackary-!”

With a loud splash, both men ended up back on the sea’s surface tumbling with the waves toward a nearly deserted shore.

“Cloud? Earth to Cloud? Are you there?” Aerith asked, her voice just loud enough to wake him. Cloud had been stirring nearly tempered chocolate when he had dozed off. He supposed if you were tired enough, not even standing could keep you from sleeping. He blinked his eyes a few times before letting out a large yawn, and removed his double-boiler from the stove. He could make chocolate garnishes later with Marlene and Denzel helping him. “Barret said now would probably be a good chance to go grab your motorcycle.”

Sephiroth had brought in a whole new crowd to Seventh Heaven; a swarm of fans who didn’t usually go out of their way for coffee. And while their arrivals were definitely great for business, Cloud didn’t think he could keep up for much longer. Luckily, after the afternoon rush had passed, Seventh Heaven had slowed down a fair amount allowing them to finally catch a break- well, as much of a break as they were going to get working on a day while Sephiroth continued to sit there. 

Cloud nodded, removing Tifa’s polka-dot apron. Between Barret, Cloud, and Tifa, the person who wore the apron the most was Barret, with Cloud coming second. Tifa rarely used it, always saying they needed it more than she did. Cloud supposed she wasn't wrong.

Finally leaving the warmth of the kitchen, the blonde realized Sephiroth was no longer at his place sitting at the bar. He had taken new residence at the cushioned bench that sat right against the window. Reeve was just gone. Sephiroth looked up at him sharply when he emerged, but Cloud kept his eyes on the front door and moved forward with purpose. 

He barely walked outside, when the sound of a gruff voice caught his attention.

“Keep walking, Cat.” Vincent said monotonously, his gun nearly parallel to Cait Sith's back. Cloud felt his jaw drop. They weren't even completely hidden behind the building, and they were still acting a fool. The window Sephiroth was sitting at was less than a few feet away.

”What are two doing?” Cloud asked, barely able to keep the incredulity out of his voice. Both cat and man froze at the sound of his voice.

”There you are laddy, I thought you’d never arrive! I’ve brought a few wee things for your convenience, I just didn’t expect the General to be here waiting for us! He really is after your tail!”

Cloud took a few more steps forward and realized there was a massive moogle just behind the building, holding two monitors in its massive paws and enough wires to wrap around Seventh Heaven twice. If he had been trying to mask his expression in front of the Sephiroth window, Cloud failed at the sight of whatever this thing was. 

“A-and this… thing?”

 “Our workhorse. It can carry massive amounts of weight and possesses more intelligence than this Cat-” Vincent began, before Cloud accidentally looked into the window.

”That cat,” He tried, before fully making eye contact with Sephiroth through the glass. Cloud hastily pulled out his mobile in order to feign a call. “Is... Uh, you'll have to do this later. Didn’t a certain person tell you to not show?”

 “Your friend Vincent here isn't actually incorrect. When Reeve isn't controlling me, I'm set to an auto sort of function that has proven to be less efficient than my moogle friend here.” Cait Sith said, scratching the back of his head with his paw. Vincent looked towards Cloud with a cold look. It was practically screaming ‘I told you so’.

Cloud drew a hand down his face. 

“Do I even need to ask who's in control right now?”

”Well my auto-function is of course! But-”

”You need to wrap this up,” Cloud murmured, looking towards Vincent. When he glanced back towards the window, Sephiroth was gone. “Now.”

Without waiting for a response, Cloud hurried his friends further before rushing back to the front of the building and running straight into the General. Despite the situation, Sephiroth caught ahold of his shoulders and steadied him, his fingers warm. One second later, and Sephiroth would have taken him to dinner at the local jail to eat cat and moogle.

“Quite the busy body, aren't you, Cloud?” Sephiroth murmured, stepping back. He glanced down at him thoughtfully before crossing his arms.“I don't suppose you'll mind if I take a look behind the building?”

Cloud actually felt a few nervous laughs escape him.

“Sure you can check out the back of the building, but I'm leaving Seventh Heaven.” Cloud stuck out his chin a bit, proud to finally have the upperhand. Sephiroth couldn’t be two places at once. If he could just buy enough time for Reeve and Vincent, it would be enough. “I won't be waiting for anyone so if you're gonna keep an eye on me, you'll have to be right behind me.”

Chapter Text

Cloud deliberately ignored Sephiroth once they had gotten into Barret’s truck, his head too full of the nonsense he had willingly got himself into. He wasn’t sure where he had expected Reeve to go with his entire plan about Shinra, he had only been thinking about the present after all. Shinra was an evil corporation, but Sephiroth wasn’t wrong either: there could be worse evils out there. Cloud needed to get more information himself- he needed information that wasn’t sourced from Reeve so he could come to his own conclusions. The blonde caught Sephiroth’s eye while looking up through the rearview and sighed. 

“I am a very busy person, Cloud.” Sephiroth suddenly said, relaxing into his chair to study the blonde. Cloud kept his eyes glued in front of him. Unlike Sephiroth, he was a very responsible driver. “That might lead you to question why I spent my entire day here-”

“If you’re gonna say something, say it.” Cloud ordered, his voice cold. He was about to pay two thousand gil- a large sum that was not going towards his rent, living expenses, or motorcycle enhancements, and all because of the lovely person sitting next to him. To say Cloud was only feeling a little irritated about the whole thing was an understatement. 

“I’m doing this because of your recent suspicious choices, that you fail to explain,” Sephiroth began, and Cloud couldn't hold back the actual groan of annoyance that slipped past his normal apathetic facade. The General frowned then, straightening his back and folding his hands together. He didn’t look more professional, no, Cloud felt like he was getting ready to witness an outburst. “I too have a dwindling patience. I would have preferred to have you admit yourself to me, but that isn’t the only tactic I’m consigned to.”

Cloud felt like getting more angry, or maybe snapping at the older man, but instead just felt his shoulders drop. He was exhausted- exhausted from talking in circles about the same thing, of running out of things to say. 

“Yeah, right. And I’m clearly acting against Midgar. Next time I vandalize Sector 6, or blow up a reactor I’ll make sure to call you.” Cloud said, making a sharp turn into what looked like a graveyard of abandoned cars. With officers like Sephiroth around, there was definitely no shortage of towed vehicles.

“Once I receive Genesis’s report, the one you surely heard about in the bathroom, and examine what exactly occurred behind Seventh Heaven, I believe I’ll be able to make an accurate call regarding your actions,” Sephiroth replied, undaunted by his sarcasm. Cloud couldn’t help the anxious gulp he suppressed, his eyes flickering over to Sephiroth’s in order to figure out the truth. There shouldn’t have been a way to see what occurred behind the building… When Cloud accidentally caught Sephiroth’s eyes, the older man smirked, leaning toward him. “Shinra has surveillance all over Midgar. Even in remote and desolate places. I will find the truth, Cloud.”

“You say this everytime you see me. It's getting old.” Cloud said, turning to stick his own face in the General’s arrogantly. Without wsrning, he pulled into a parking spot roughly, nearly jostling the perfect general, and turned away. “Maybe you should go back to endorsing skincare. Investigating doesn’t really seem to be your-”

Sephiroth grabbed ahold of his jaw roughly- not in a necessarily painful way, but in enough of a way to shut Cloud up and force him to look back toward him. The blonde barely suppressed a snarl as he roughly changed gear into park.

“It is entirely my own benevolence that has kept you out of prison despite having every chance, and reason, to arrest you, Cloud.” Sephiroth glared hard at him, his green gaze nearly acidic. Cloud glared back, his reason dulled as a heated anger seemed to overcome his mind. “You should be thankful .”

Cloud wildly tore himself away and bit his lip hard. General Sephiroth had to be the most pretentious prick in the world to even imagine something like that. Cloud being thankful for being pursued as a criminal? The blonde would have rather pulled up to Shinra himself, handcuffed and all, then ever admit such a gross untruth. Thankful was far off; hatred was something he was beginning to become acquainted with. Cloud did bare his teeth.

“If you're looking for gratitude you can go back to Shinra. They'll probably praise you just for wiping your ass.”

Sephiroth turned his nose up at that comment, his facade cracking like fine porcelain; his grimace was sharp and jagged.

 “You'll regret those words.” The General stared hard at Cloud's profile, malice bright in his inhuman eyes.

”Is that a threat?” Cloud asked, shaking his own head. It was bullshit was what it really was, but that wasn't what he had asked.

”It's a promise.” Sephiroth murmured, his expression cold, and dangerous. Cloud swallowed despite himself.

Tifa welcomed the warm, embracing smell of cane sugar and smoked vanilla- it was how Seventh Heaven always smelled, and she wouldn’t give it up for anything. It was the perfect salve- especially in the face of their recent battle. She couldn’t remember the last time she had felt so alive, so purely instinctual. It had almost been like the ocean was calling to her, empowering each of her strikes.

The cafe had seemed to settle down in their absence, as more seats appeared vacant with only the sun to fill the empty stools at the bar. Cloud was missing too, but Zack of all people had managed to make it before they had, and waved openly toward them as they trailed in slowly.

“Hey Tifa! Not often you step out during business hours!” Zack said, spinning on his stool. She could almost feel his eyes examining her, checking for any sign of scales, or sea. Zack was perceptive, and not to be underestimated; that was something Tifa had learned quite recently.

“We were just out grabbing the kids,” She said pleasantly, smiling and greeting a few other familiar customers. She slipped behind the bar as Denzel and Marlene dashed in after her. “Aerith did take care of you right?”

“Hi Zack,” Denzel said, patting one of his legs before making a beeline to the second floor. He didn’t waste a minute waiting for either a snack nor a response. It was something Cloud often did, and while Tifa was happy Denzel had found a role-model in her friend, she wished he’d be a little more conscious about certain things.

“Hi!” Marlene exclaimed, hugging both of Zack’s legs, and staying long enough for him to pat her head fondly. She smiled up at him sweetly. “I’ve got to go find daddy, but you’ll play dolls with me later, right?”

“If Aerith lets me, okay?” Zack whispered, giving the girl a warm wink. Marlene grinned. 

“Of course I got him food!” Aerith replied, finally stepping out from the kitchen to give Tifa a fierce look. It dissolved into a bright smile, followed by a warm hug. “You’re safe! I’m so glad!”

Tifa blinked a little at that, unsure how to respond before Cid placed a chocolate cigarette in his mouth and scowled.

“What's with that face, Tifa? Course we’re all damn safe, I  was the one flying.”

“You flew in Cid’s plane to pick up Marlene and Denzel?” Zack asked, tilting his head in confusion.

“It seems we’ll never be safe from your telling remarks,” Red murmured, sitting directly next to Tifa. Zack laughed at that, scratching his head of dark spikes. 

“Shuddup ya damn coeurl!”

“Oh Cloud’s roommates are here too!” Zack observed, impressed. Tifa schooled her own emotions with difficulty. She remembered calling Aerith, but when had Zack happened upon Cloud’s more recent living development? Was this why he seemed so keen on their situation? “He was a… A cat-dog… Uh, Aerith?”

“He’s adorable is what he is!” Aerith crooned, reaching down to pet his ears. Red agilely dashed behind Tifa’s, and then Cid’s legs to avoid her outstretched hands.

”Oh, don't embarrass Red, Aerith,” Tifa chided gently, reaching for a saucer and a nearby pitcher of cream. Despite declining to order anything, Red had drank the last bowl of cream entirely. Tifa smiled to herself as she placed another down for him. 

After a second of charged silence, the door to Seventh Heaven was opened very slowly, revealing a dark-eyed Cloud. His shoulders were up to his ears, his brows furrowed, and his scowl was scary enough to make Cid choke on his cigarette. 

The blonde ran a hand through his spikes before plopping down beside Zack at the bar and groaning. Tifa couldn’t hide her sympathetic wince at the sound. 

“Well, I’ve got my bike back.” Cloud said dully, not even casting a glance in Zack’s direction. He shook his head like he was attempting to drive away bad thoughts.  “And Sephiroth is finally gone. Thank the gods.”

Zack scratched the back of his own head at that, giving the blonde his own sympathetic glance. 

“So you’re the one keeping the General so busy,” Zack laughed half-heartedly, setting a strong hand on the blonde’s shoulder. Cloud looked up at him through his messy bangs, gaining a soft smile from Zack. “Wanna catch me up?”

“Uh, yeah! I wanna be caught up too!” Barret suddenly exclaimed, busting through kitchen doors with Marlene on top of his shoulders. He looked wildly at Tifa, Cid, and then Cloud, and cleared his throat, a glimmer of sweat on his brow. “Which one of you thought it was break time! I need y'all back to work now !”

“Well, wait just a second,” Cloud said, his eyes downcast and hand lifted. Tifa couldn’t help but notice how frail his hand looked, like he hadn’t been eating properly and slipped a croissant to him. “I think he should know.”

Before anyone else could question his decision, Vincent pulled himself to the front, his cloak dripping behind him like ink. 

“And if he doesn’t react optimally?”

Zack looked toward Cloud at that question, his brow barely furrowed and breath caught. Tifa took a quick glance toward Aerith and found her lip caught between her teeth, her green eyes shimmering with what looked to be hope. When Cloud had accepted Reeve’s deal, Tifa wasn’t sure if he had ever considered what it might do to his relationships, much less his lifestyle. He had always been one to act first and think later.

“I trust Zack,” Cloud murmured, nodding to himself before looking up into his friend’s eyes. “This doesn’t change anything.”

By the time Cloud had been able to effectively tell his story, and answer all of Zack’s questions- which had been many- the sun was near setting, and Seventh Heaven had long closed its doors to wandering customers. Unfortunately mid-explanation, Cloud had realized how little he actually had to answer Zack’s questions. He didn’t know why or when his ears or tail popped out. He knew they weren’t generally out, but that was the end of what he knew. He also had no idea what Reeve was exactly up to with Cait Sith in Shinra. Sure Cloud had been busy dealing with monsters, but what had Reeve been doing himself?

Despite how exhausting it had been, Cloud felt better after sharing everything with Zack. His friend always had a different viewpoint, a question Cloud hadn’t considered, and best of all, Zack had seemed very accepting of the entire thing. 

“I work for Shinra, true, but I’m your best friend before I’m a SOLDIER, Cloudy-head!” Zack had said, and Cloud had only known to drop his head and grin secretly to himself. It felt good to hear that. 

After seeing  his reaction, Zack had grabbed ahold of his neck and half hugged, half choked the blonde to death, inviting himself and whoever was nearby back to Cloud’s place for the night. And that was where they were at. He was sitting on the edge of his couch with way too many men crowding in his apartment and Denzel sitting on his counter, his legs swinging happily.

“Cloud! I thought I told you to get rid of the mouse family last I was here!” Barret cried, pulling out a pan Cloud wasn’t sure was his. The blonde ignored him, deciding to focus on Red who was busy scratching at his ears. Vincent was also hovering about the kitchen, his wings extending every now and then and nearly smacking Cid and Barret in the face. Once he had caught Denzel giggling about it, the oversized vampire hadn’t stopped- not that either Cid, or Barret had caught on.

“So how was the mission? I know Zack wrote the report so we’re safe and all… But you and Tifa were good?” Cloud asked, popping a bit of dry ramen into his mouth. He had offered some to the cat, but Red had turned his nose up at it. 

“She’s very proficient.” Red sniffed the air before scratching at his shoulder. “She didn’t fall into any trees. It was very impressive.”

Zack finished his first ramen and tore open a second packet, laughing.

“Ah crap, I remember the tree! Sephiroth was so pissed afterwards, he wouldn’t stop talking about it! He was like, ‘No one has ever received my strike…especially not someone who fell out of a tree!’” Zack ended up snorting and laughing, his Sephiroth impression cut short as  he recounted the memory.

“It hurt like hell.” Cloud muttered, a begrudging smile pulling at his lips. A sort of rosy colour came to his cheeks, but he sighed instead of focusing on his embarrassment. “Anyway, I don’t think my arms are ever gonna recover from the crap he puts me through.”

“Oh you’ll recover, yer young!” Cid shouted over the noise of sizzling. Cloud wasn’t sure what they were cooking- last he had checked the only thing he had in his kitchen was live mice. “My lower back on the other hand! Whoo- the only thing I ask is for Denz-”

“I’m not gonna walk on your back again!” Denzel exclaimed, looking to Cloud for justice. The blonde poorly hid a snicker behind his hand while Zack unabashedly laughed out loud. 

“I don’t mean to interrupt,” Red said suddenly, still scratching at his ears. “But is there anywhere I might be able to wash myself?”

Cloud finally took the initiative to really look at Red and noticed a layer of tiny, white salt formations crumbling off his coat. The ocean had left its mark which was surely irritating the cat's skin. 

“You can use my shower,” Cloud agreed, standing and heading to his bathroom. 

“Are we gonna wash Red? Can I help?” Denzel asked, leaping off the counter and setting his PHS next to Zack. He was at Cloud’s side before the blonde could even think about agreeing. 

“Yeah, everybody wants to wash a coeurl, but nobody wants to help poor, old Cid,” The pilot murmured, shaking his head. 

“Don’t nobody wanna walk on your back,” Barret laughed, adding what looked to be a vegetable into the pan of sizzling something. The scent told Cloud it was meat and butter in that pan, but when had a vegetable gotten into his apartment? 

Trusting the cooking situation to Barret and Cid, Cloud led Red to the only bathroom in his apartment; it was already painfully tight with just Cloud, Red, and Denzel standing in it.

“If he, uh,” Cloud looked at Red and then at his tiny bathroom. After pulling his polka-dot shower curtain to the side, both Zack and Vincent, who had come to watch for whatever reason, stood silently. “Do you usually take baths by yourself?” 

“I have help.” Red said, leaping gracefully into his tub. Cloud didn’t dare mention the fact that Red was almost too big for the pathetic, small chunk of stone that was his tub. He turned the water on instead, pulling up the sleeves of his hoodie and kneeling by the edge. 

Denzel followed suit, his eyebrows furrowed. 

“Can you go get an empty container, please? It’ll help with washing him.” When Zack saluted and went off to find something in Cloud’s apartment that was comparable, Denzel turned his determined gaze on Vincent who was the only one who was still behind them. “If you want to help, maybe you could pull up your sleeves.”

Like a soldier called to order, Vincent came forward, pulled up his sleeves to reveal the palest arms Cloud had ever seen, and kneeled. He looked towards Denzel attentively. 

“Do you mind the smell of my shampoo?” Cloud asked while Denzel very thoroughly schooled Vincent on the ins and outs of animal washing. Apparently he had been hoping for a dog, and as a result, had been studying very thoroughly. Cloud flipped the bottle over and read the label for the first time in his life. “It's ‘fresh and clean’.”

“I generally wash with yucca roots, which are very fragrant. This is fine.” Red said as Denzel and Vincent began to gently remove the beads, feathers, and bands that adorned the cat. Cloud nodded as Zack tumbled into the room. 

“I got the container!” Zack exclaimed triumphantly, setting it down on the edge of the tub. Without any warning he reached for the shower head and pulled ever so slightly, still grinning. “Since everybody’s in position I can help with-”

“Wait, Zack don't-” Before Cloud could get another word in, ice cold water shot from the shower head, spraying Cloud, Denzel, and Vincent as well as the other entire half of the bathroom. It was only thanks to Red, who swatted at the turned faucet, that Cloud was able to wipe his face and glare.

“Shit- I mean crap. Damn, I am so sorry-” Zack stuttered as he scanned his three unfortunate friends, mirth very clear in his eyes as he examined each of their faces. Cloud felt a traitorous smile pull at his own mouth when he saw Denzel covering his mouth, his face turned in Vincent’s direction. As the unfortunate person, who generally appeared well-kept despite his circumstances, to receive a majority of the spray- Vincent’s expression still remained exactly the same. He was completely still, one of Red’s completely soaked feathers still clasped in his hand, and his dark hair a long dripping mass. Zack was covering his laugh with his hand as he apologised. “That was a complete accident, Spike, Denz, uh, Vincent.”

Cloud wiped a long blonde piece of his hair out of his face and looked toward Denzel and Vincent with a sharp nod. They responded in kind. Seeing what had occurred, Red quickly squished himself to one side of the tub, his golden eye alight. 

“I’m sorry too, Zack.” Cloud said, readying the now full container of water in one hand and motioning at Denzel with a smirk. Denzel immediately surged forward, grabbing at Zack’s legs while Vincent pulled the wand from his grasp and pointed it straight towards him. Denzel quickly dodged behind the much taller man and flipped the faucet on, giggling. Revenge was always sweet. 

By the time Red had actually gotten the washing he needed, Cloud was completely soaked through and his shower wand was hanging limply into his tub, nary a drip. That wasn’t speaking on behalf of only himself though- everyone else was also practically soaked to the bone and Vincent looked very ready to flap his wings and fix that issue. 

“Don’t even think about it,” Cloud warned, looking at the man. He glanced back, noncommittal. 

“Dinner is ready-” Barret froze in the door staring for a second before turning his head back and looking back in again. Marlene had learned to dramatize every situation from Barret which made him the Drama King . “Cloud? Is that you?”

“No it's not,” The blonde replied sarcastically, crossing his arms. Before he had a chance to continue Cid walked into view and raised his eyebrows high, his chocolate cigarette completely falling out of his mouth. 

“Damn, your hair really did give you a few inches. Aerith’s always winning these damn bets…” Cid shook his head, walking out of view again while Barret scratched his head. “Gonna be outta money with her around.”

Chapter Text

“I’d like a marshmallow moogle latte with seven extra pumps of espresso, fourteen extra pumps of vanilla syrup, two vanilla cupcakes- extra sprinkles, a chocolate milk-” 

Cloud nodded monotonously as he began ringing up the girl’s order. She was about half his height, with an upturned nose and eyes bright enough to make anyone feel introverted. When she had walked in, he had fully expected a parent, or guardian to follow after her. Now that she was ordering fifty things- all with alterations- Cloud wished anyone would show up. Anything to get her to stop. 

“- And one moogle cookie, chocolate, vanilla, and banana cream frosting! That’ll be it!”

The blonde finished selecting her final item, and completing her order. Barret was going to have it hard today. 

“Can I get a name for that order?”

The girl narrowed her eyes at him then, her cheeks nearly puffing out before she straightened her posture and rubbed at her nose proudly. 

“You can put, ‘The nameless darkness, the cold whisper of wind- a woman of culture and beauty!-”

“We’ll call you when your order is ready, thank you.” Cloud said, writing ‘kid’ on the fourteenth cup the girl had ordered.

The girl glared at him before finally leaving the line and sitting at one of the tables. Cloud gave his best smile to the following customer. 

Cait Sith blinked up at him for a second before using the counter as leverage to launch himself upwards. Cloud flinched hard. 

“Why good morning, Cloud! We are on a first name basis now, aren’t we?” Cait Sith didn’t wait for him to answer. With one hand holding himself up, he used the other to cup a very non-discreet hand around Cloud’s ear as if he was telling him a secret. “Listen laddy! We’ve got a bit of an appointment coming up- I saw some sort of, well, I don’t mean to alarm you, but-”

Cloud distinctly caught sight of a customer looking around the line to glare at Cait Sith, only to belatedly realize he was a cat and start choking. Cait Sith was not good for customers. By relation that meant he wasn’t good for Cloud’s bank account either. 

“Spit it out,” Cloud said, shaking his head. “I’ve got customers to serve.”

Cait Sith cleared his throat before falling off the counter and coughing into his fist.

“Well, I caught sight of a rampaging behemoth just within a few paces of here, and-”

As if summoned by his words alone, a massive hulking beast tore through Seventh Heaven’s wall like paper, sending a massive amount of wood and pink plaster flying. A chorus of screams sounded, and people got to their feet scrambling in every direction. Cloud had launched himself over the bar before he had even realized it, Tifa and Barret dashing onto the scene. 

“I need all customers to evacuate. Now!” Cloud ordered, pulling shocked patrons to their feet and shoving them helpfully toward Barret. Before Barret had opened Seventh Heaven, he had worked in a private security firm as a bodyguard. If anyone could direct a crowd, it was him. 

The Behemoth growled low in its throat, its well-muscled body rearing back to charge once again. Tifa, who had yet to transform, slammed a very ineffective fist against one of its legs, and jumped back wincing. 

“Has this thing got a weakness? My attacks aren’t working!”

Vincent grabbed a hold of a young family and transported them out, Red sliding into the dining hall and nearly into Cloud.  

“Behemoth’s are notoriously afraid of fire. If we could drive it out the cafe and-” Red was interrupted as both he and Cloud were roughly flung to the side by the Behemoth’s massive tail, the bar crumbling into what looked like dust. Having transformed mid-throw, Cloud drew his largest sword and spit out a mouthful of cement and blood. 

“Tifa, help me draw it away!” 

With a sharp lunge toward the massive monster, Cloud brought his sword down with all the strength he possessed. The massive blade easily penetrated the Behemoth’s hide, gaining an aggravated roar, but no matter how Cloud tried, he couldn’t seem to remove the blade. It was stuck.

Tifa, who had also been attacking the rear suddenly dashed away as the Behemoth did a full one--eighty, its beady yellow eyes searching for its aggressors. Cloud suddenly felt very small, grabbing onto his not so small sword. He cleared his throat as the beast realized its mistake, and turned its massive head very slowly to glare at the blonde. 

“Red, have you got the materia ready yet?”

“I’m not sure how this occurred, but-” Red paused and Cloud felt his heart leap out of his throat  as the Behemoth writhed, nearly flinging him off and onto one of Seventh Heaven’s cutesy chandeliers. Marlene had been the one to pick their design, and while they were charming, if Cloud happened to land on one, he was sure he would never recover. “My materia seems to be missing.”

“Mine is too!” Tifa echoed him, staring at Cloud worriedly. “I can’t even transform!”

Cloud pulled at his own hip, only to find a handful of his miscellaneous swords. Every materia was gone. Cait Sith chuckled nervously from down below. Thank goodness Reeve had given him and Red dice instead of traditionally shaped materia. As he had explained, the dice actually were tiny materia, but much more portable and a lot more powerful. Whereas Tifa’s materia was in the traditional, circular form.

“I don’t mean to alarm you for the second time today-”

“Just say it!” Cloud, Tifa, and Vincent ordered. The older man had finally returned, and was currently keeping the Behemoth agitated and distracted with a flurry of shots from his gun. Cloud had never been vocally thankful enough for his timing, but after they survived this he would buy the man a coffee. He had long earned it. 

“Shinra has dispatched a group of SOLDIERs. They’re sure to be here any minute!”

“Shit, we have to be untransformed by the time they get here.” Cloud finally released his sword and dropped to the ground, rolling as he regained his balance. “We’ll have to make our own fire. We’ll worry about the materia-”

“I’ve got some fire!” Barret shouted, charging through the kitchen door with three flaming bottles of alcohol in between his metal fingers. Cloud distinctly caught Vincent nodding. “Where the hell am I throwing these?” 

“Aim for the head!” Tifa said, landing a solid kick on the Behemoth’s face and nearly turning it. The monster bared its teeth at her after that, its massive tail knocking into another wall as it readied to charge her. 

“You were a marksman, you’ve got good aim,” Cloud reassured him, drawing one of his blades to join Tifa’s frontal assault. Red was already there, nipping at the beast’s legs and attempting to draw his attention towards the hole in the wall. This was one of the few times being invisible didn’t work to his advantage.

With the precision of a god, Barret threw all three bottles of flame in a perfect arch, right over the Behemoth’s body and straight into its head.  Cloud could only wish for a bit of foresight, afterall as soon as the bottles made impact, a wave of cindery heat was released outwards, sending him, Tifa, and Red leagues backwards. Cloud felt his head smack against a few pieces of wall before he was sent rolling across a bit of the front lawn, glass and debris tangled in his hair. He didn’t think he could move for at least a minute.

“We’ve captured the poison!” Cloud heard Cait Sith announce before a small rabbit hopped outside of Seventh Heaven. It was both amazing and horrifying knowing Shinra had the power to turn a rabbit into a Behemoth. He slumped his head down again, detransforming. Now they had to figure out where their lost materia was. 

“Everyone okay?” Cloud asked, lifting himself off the pavement with significant effort. Tifa was already standing when he made it back to the building, her hands in a pile of plaster and dust. She pulled out a forlorn frame and stared, her lips quivering.

“A little help would be nice!” Barret called, half smothered by a fallen slab of ceiling. He was still kicking his legs, which was always a good sign, but Cloud couldn’t say that about the state of Seventh Heaven. Tifa’s entire life was in this cafe, and now the entire place looked ready to crumble with just a breeze. That wasn’t mentioning that half of the remaining wall was still on fire.

In the midst of pulling Barret out, the front entry door to the cafe, which had remained mostly intact, was thrown open forcefully enough to almost dislodge it from its hinges. Sephiroth walked in then, his steps slow and sure as if he was awaiting a round of applause. His wings were out, his hair was pulled back neatly, and his armour was shining in the morning sunlight. Cloud looked up towards its source. There was a lot of missing ceiling. 

With that thought, the horrifying chandelier took its last swing and fell noisily down, landing close  to Sephiroth’s gleaming metal boots. He looked at it wearily before clearing his throat and surveying the room.

“It seems the main threat has already been dispatched?” A red-haired man asked, also wearing armour, though his was bronze and flamboyantly embellished. He had styled auburn hair and a single black wing. Cloud recalled having seen him before. That was Genesis, Sephiroth’s secretary, and the very person who had sent him to the Science department and started this whole mess in the first place. He smirked when Cloud glared at him, folding his arms. “Does that mean we can leave?”

Sephiroth fluttered over to Tifa, and gently helped her stand. She looked upwards at him fiercely, her lips taut. 

“Medics are on the way. If there is no one in a critical state and the threat has been dispatched-”

“What the hell about my cafe?” Barret asked, stumbling forward and pointing an accusatory finger at Sephiroth’s chest. The General looked down on him, his eyes lowered. “What about the cost of the damages?”

Genesis sauntered forward, a hand on his hip and tone patronising.  

“Shinra offers low-interest loans to those who have recently undergone hardships . If you’d like, I can get an appointment set up for you-”

“A loan? A loan when it's your own damn lab that sends out these monsters to go rampaging around the city and destroyin’ people's livelihoods?!”

Sephiroth looked up sharply at that and stepped forward, a grimace on his face and his sword drawn. Cloud had never thought Sephiroth was scary- intimidating, definitely, anxiety-inducing absolutely, but fear wasn’t a part of his usual mix. The way he stepped toward Barret however, crossed into a whole new territory. Sephiroth glared down at the man, his teeth almost bared in a snarl and his eyes nearly illuminated underneath the shadows of his bangs. He looked ready to kick him down right there. 

“How many monster attacks do you think occur in a year? How many families do you think lose their homes, businesses, and livelihoods? You are not special.” Sephiroth took another step forward, nearly pushing Barret back, anger a terrifying glint in his eyes. “You can choose to seek accommodations at Shinra, which can provide temporary housing if need be, or you can sit here clinging to your pathetic ideations. The choice is yours.”

Barret clenched his jaw, his eyes downcast and fists trembling at his sides. Cloud felt angry for him, simply because he felt how unfair it was to always be on the losing side. Sephiroth and his prick of a secretary would never have to worry about being attacked by monsters, or losing a job, much less anything else. They were celebrities, military officials, and most importantly Shinra’s lapdogs. They had more gil than anyone could wish for. 

Cloud slunk back to the shadows, arriving by Vincent’s side to look up at him.

“Were you able to safely evacuate most of the customers?”

“I was able to get all of them to the parking lot and out. None of them seemed to be able to recall anything about your transformations.” Vincent murmured, his voice quiet. Despite holding a conversation with Cloud, his eyes never left Sephiroth. The blonde nodded, relieved.

“That's good.” Before Cloud could say much more, Genesis walked up to him, a very fake smile on his pale face as Barret and Sephiroth continued arguing. Cloud could feel Vincent tense up next to him, his gun never leaving his hand. 

“Cloud, was it? Perhaps you can show me around and I can get you an estimate on repairs?” While he maintained his smirk, his pale eyes were cold and malicious. It had to be a bluff. Genesis was hoping to get him alone and start a fight most likely. Without waiting for a response, Genesis suddenly hooked his arm with Cloud’s and pulled him into the kitchen. “Last I saw you, you were accompanied by a feline, not a vampire- oh, wait.”

Genesis laughed obnoxiously as Cloud finally managed to free himself and fix the man with a cold stare. His dice felt like a weight in his pocket- a weight practically begging to be lifted. 

“What’re you getting at? If you know about it , why haven’t you told Sephiroth?”

Genesis paused before lifting a hand to his chest.

“Three friends go into battle- one is captured, one flies away. And the one that is left becomes a hero…”

“I’m not your friend,” Cloud muttered, eyeing Barret’s array of cooking knives. He didn’t necessarily have to transform to pose a threat to someone- even if his current opponent was armoured. “And if you’re not telling the General the truth, you’re not his friend either.”

“And here I was thinking I was talking to a dog ,” Genesis laughed, relaxing against the door. “The doctor will be happy to hear you maintained some intelligence.”

Cloud blinked, caught off guard. Of course. If Hollander had specially selected him, it only made sense SOLDIER would also be involved to some extent. They all were a part of Shinra afterall. He just wouldn’t have guessed it was Sephiroth’s right hand man. Some people just could never be content with what they had.

“You’re more of a dog than I ever was, serving your sick master- and for what?” Cloud rolled roughly out of the way as Genesis sliced down at him, his perfect smirk finally replaced with disgust. Cloud ignored his already battered body and moved to grab a cutting board. It was better than having nothing.

“I serve no one but myself!” Genesis declared, incinerating the cutting board and then kicking the blonde straight in his stomach and onto his back. Cloud felt blood spurt out of his lips. Genesis loomed over him, kneeling just low enough to place his flaming, golden blade against Cloud’s throat. “You would do well to remember that.”

“I don’t take orders,” Cloud growled, slamming his forehead with all the strength he could muster. He distinctly felt his blade sear off some of the skin on his neck, but continued pushing until he and Genesis switched positions. Now, with gravity on his side, Cloud forced the flaming blade until it was near touching his own skin. “How about you go back and tell him that?”

With a blast of magic, the red-haired man flung Cloud into the opposite wall, his back making contact painfully before he slowly slid down, his spine aching.

Before Genesis had a chance to respond, the door to the kitchen was thrown open, Tifa at the forefront. Sephiroth was right behind her looking like he was ready to impale someone. Cloud looked over weakly, pain surely written all over his face. 

“Cloud? What happened?” Tifa asked, eyeing the situation wearily, her expression falling as she finally seemed to see him. “What's going on?” 

With the expression of a guilty child, Cloud used the half of the cutting board to help himself up and moved to get on his feet. He cleared his throat, shrugging and clasping his hands behind his back purposefully. Genesis scoffed, dusting himself off.

  “I uh, I just thought,” Cloud glanced at Sephiroth, who looked very ready to kill, nearly felt his soul depart to the lifestream, and then desperately grabbed at his uncollected thoughts. He wasn't dead, he was just dazed. “I was thinking he could give us an estimate on the, uhm, damages.”

Vincent, who was standing near the back and not in a place that could influence anyone’s opinion, nodded, easily convinced. Unfortunately, neither Tifa nor Sephiroth seemed very likely to believe him.

“He assaulted me!” Genesis declared dramatically, swooning. Cloud rolled his eyes. “Hitting the Lieutenant General of Shinra’s army is at least five years in prison, isn’t it?”

“He drew his sword on a civilian with the intent to injure.” Cloud said, looking back towards Vincent for support. The tall man nodded again, encouragingly. “Shouldn’t his SOLDIER license be revoked or something?”

“We require at least one witness to travel back with us to Shinra. You seem to be in a healthy enough state,” Sephiroth grumbled, completely out of nowhere. Cloud bit his tongue, nearly about to frown until he looked back at Tifa and Barret’s faces. They were lined, wearied- it was best that he go and not them. Vincent didn’t even possess a valid Shinra ID- not at least that Cloud knew of. Despite herself, Tifa stepped forward to deny Sephiroth, but Cloud spoke before her.

“Let's get this over with then.”

Chapter Text

Riding with Sephiroth was one thing. Riding with Genesis and Sephiroth was like promising to drill the final nail in his own coffin, and the most shocking thing was it wasn’t even Sephiroth- it was Genesis. Cloud had thought Sephiroth took the cake for most irritating man of the year, but apparently he had no idea what he was talking about. 

“Infinite in mystery is the gift of the Goddess-”

“I would appreciate silence while I’m driving,” Sephiroth snapped, his eyes never leaving the long stretch of road in front of them. Cloud was luckily sitting alone in the backseat this time, though Genesis kept trying to make awkward eye contact with him through the rearview mirror. Cloud could only try to ignore him, sipping at the coffee Tifa had given him before he left. 

“Oh? Does your big, bestial head hurt after your mako shots this morning?” Genesis mocked, his nasally voice high. He was smirking and Cloud didn’t even have to see his face to know it. “I thought you loved Hojo. His methods are the only reason you’re the General afterall.”

“You were the only person I thought loved any scientists,” Cloud muttered, grunting as Sephiroth drove directly over a pothole. Suddenly, his injuries felt more pressing than ever, and the blonde couldn’t help but sink further into his seat.

“What did you say?” Genesis asked, heatedly turning in his seat to glare. Cloud probably couldn’t have provoked a Malboro faster. Shinra’s stupid lieutenant secretary seemed to have a self-esteem lower than Wutai’s post-war GDP, and that was saying a lot. 

“I said-”

“We’re here. Genesis, your report should be completed before today’s end. I’ll receive Cloud’s witness report and send it to you before noon.” Sephiroth said, his voice devoid of almost any emotion. The red-haired man raised his eyebrows at that.

“You’re going to oversee his report, personally ?”

“Can we go?” Cloud asked, moving past both men and toward the building. Honestly, there wasn’t a place he wanted to be at less, but as things stood it was his only choice. If Sephiroth really was in a bad mood, Cloud shouldn’t try with his usual dumb shenanigans. There was also the fact that he would much rather be with Shinra’s General than Hollander, and the risk of running into the scientist was high. Who knew if he had a camera setup like Reeve did, spanning across the entire building.

The walk through Shinra was almost identical to Cloud’s previous one, which did very little to calm him. In fact, it made him more nervous than anything. The only main difference was that people would randomly smile when they saw Sephiroth, just to freeze and dash away. The SOLDIER receptionist, who was the same guy Cloud had seen before, actually squeaked at seeing the General, and lowered himself behind his desk. Cloud silently wished he could join him back there.

When they finally made it into Sephiroth’s office, Cloud could feel his heart racing, his stomach doing flips as he tried to calm himself down. He couldn’t shake the feeling Hollander was watching- waiting for him. Cloud didn’t remember much from his injection, but he remembered the pain, he could taste the fear. The blonde immediately sat down when he realized his tail had popped out- in response to his emotion most likely. He had realized that happened often enough by now.

‘‘I apologize you had to be brought here on a day that has been less than pleasant for you. I do recall you mentioning that you’d prefer to avoid Shinra,” Sephiroth paused, still not looking at him. His attention was on a massive filing cabinet which he was rifling through less than methodically. His comment was pretty nice though- at least nicer than Cloud would have ever expected. “As soon as you complete these forms, you’re free to go.”

Cloud nodded, picking at his blistering palms. He didn’t know what had possessed him to push down on Genesis’s fiery blade earlier. Maybe it had been all of the anger he felt like had accumulated in the last week- and seeing Seventh Heaven partially destroyed was just the final straw. He placed his coffee on Sephiroth’s desk numbly. Acting on emotion was never a smart thing, especially when he had the power to actually hurt people. Cloud glanced up at Sephiroth hesitantly. He had attacked him out of anger too, just a few days ago. While Sephiroth was irritating as hell, he wasn’t a bad person per se. 

“How long do these usually take?”

“Under an hour if you’re efficient,” Sephiroth said, moving to sit down in his massive leather chair. He pulled out a pen from a nearby drawer and slid the papers towards the blonde. “If you need anything explained, or have any questions let me know.”

Cloud nodded again and began scribbling down on the pages before him, making sure to keep his answers as vague as possible. Sephiroth turned his head to glare at his ridiculously large monitor, and started poking at his keyboard. It was after a second that Cloud couldn’t help but notice that Sephiroth was massaging his head, a slight grimace on his lips. 

“Headache?” He asked without thinking. The General turned to look at him, his eyes just barely widened and eyebrows raised. Cloud pushed his coffee forward with a shrug. He didn’t have the stomach to drink it anymore anyway. “Caffeine helps if you want.”

“Did you drink out of it?” 

“Not much, there's still a good amount left-” Cloud paused as he realized that elitist General Sephiroth would probably never accept a slightly used coffee, it was obviously beneath him. “Actually forget it, I’ll just toss it-”

“No,” Sephiroth commanded, also grabbing ahold of the cup and forcing it back down. Cloud blinked at him, at a complete loss. “I was just- I was just attempting to familiarize myself with the situation. Thank you, I accept it.”

“You don’t have to force yourself…” The blonde muttered dryly, once again grabbing hold of the pen. Sephiroth looked away then, something of a flush very obvious on his starkly pale ears. Sharing coffee rarely required even half as much of a reaction that the blonde had gotten, but then again, Cloud didn't care how Sephiroth reacted. As long as he wasn't actively trying to expose him, they didn't have a relationship.

“I’ve simply never shared a coffee with someone. I wasn’t sure what was customary of the situation.”

“Right,” Cloud sighed, until something caught his attention. It was the smell of sharp cologne- not Sephiroth's, something more woody and subtle. There was also the slight smell of rusting metal. Cloud blinked, glancing around.

There wasn’t anyone else in the room, unless someone was about to knock at the door, but even after a second of waiting it remained silent. Cloud discreetly glanced at Sephiroth, who was back to being wholly engrossed in whatever work he was doing, and then looked back to his own paper. What was he missing?

A tiny black tuft of feather floated and settled noiselessly down on Cloud’s paper, nearly drawing Cloud’s entire head up in question. He was still within Sephiroth’s peripheral though, so Cloud could only try and discreetly look upwards towards the vent directly above Sephiroth’s head. Cait Sith waved sociably while Vincent stared. The blonde nearly choked. Unfortunately for him, Sephiroth who had taken a very shy sip of his coffee had also turned at that exact moment. It was almost like he was a nervous kid, who was looking to get scolded after doing something they knew they shouldn’t have done, but that expression changed as soon as he realized Cloud was attempting to look up. Sephiroth wasted no time in attempting  to look up himself, but Cloud moved faster than his thoughts did, grabbing ahold of the General’s face to force him to look ahead. Sephiroth froze.

“What do you think you’re doing, Cloud?” He asked, his tone more curious than it was cold. If Cloud had thought he had been nervous before, holding Sephiroth’s perfect, porcelain face in his hands had brought a whole new level of pain into his life. Cait Sith and Vincent better have moved the hell away from the vent by the time he finished selling his pride, honour, and dreams.

“I was just,” Cloud paused, feeling a shameful heat rise to his own face. He gently rubbed at Sephiroth’s cheek with his thumb before letting go and sitting back in his chair like a dumb rock. All he had needed was a second. Even if that second created the most embarrassing memory for him to ever recall. “You had some dirt or something… On your face.”

Sephiroth caught his wrist before he sat, seemingly distracted. It wasn’t how he usually was and Cloud couldn’t help but wonder if it had anything to do with the ‘mako’ shots Genesis had mentioned earlier. Mako was commonly known to act as a steroid of sorts, and the blonde could only suppose that included all the detrimental side effects. As to why he had to get them put Cloud at a complete loss. Weren’t alien cells all he needed?

“Did Genesis do this to you?” The General asked, his eyes lowered. He flipped his hand over to examine the line of blistered skin. Cloud wasn’t sure where the sudden interest came from, but he wasn’t fond of it. In fact, the action even hurt a bit.

“It’ll heal,” Cloud shrugged, pulling his hand back. It wasn’t like he could finish his report holding hands with the General, though it could possibly help out in other slightly bigger issues regarding his current circumstances. What exactly had made him stop considering his peace tactics? Despite his tugging, Sephiroth refused to let go of his wrist.

“Consider it repayment for the coffee.” The General said brusquely, finally releasing him and then turning in his chair to grab something out of Cloud’s line of sight. The blonde’s first thought was gil, but when Sephiroth came around his desk to sit in the chair beside him, he was holding a first aid kit. It would work. The General proceeded to open the antiseptic and dab a bit onto a cotton ball, grabbing ahold of his hand and holding it open. “I’ve been told I have a bit of a tendency to be heavy handed so in that case-”

Whatever was in the antiseptic burned. Cloud winced hard, instinctively trying to pull away, but the silver general held fast. 

“You could have warned me,” Cloud gritted out, his eyes narrowed. He had yet to disinfect any of the wounds he had received over the past few days, and found his not-yet-infected life to be far more tolerable than whatever Sephiroth had going on with the disinfecting shit. 

“I apologize, Cloud,” Sephiroth murmured, no longer looking at him. His eyes were focused solely on Cloud’s palm, his silver lashes long, and brows furrowed. His lips suddenly quirked upwards, nearly smirking. “I didn’t realize how sensitive you were.”

“Yeah, well last time I used to come home scraped up was before I lived in Midgar so I’m not used to it anymore.” Cloud stiffened in the office chair, but allowed the General to do as he pleased. He was bone-weary from the week’s events. Job hunting was going to put his rent even further back and that wasn’t even mentioning the fact that Denzel and Tifa were probably going to move in now too. Their home had been destroyed. Cloud couldn’t charge them rent.

“Anymore? A civilian like you should never have to grow accustomed to this.” Sephiroth’s mood seemed to take a turn for the worse as he scowled, wrapping his hand with a white bandage. The action was surprisingly gentle. “There is a reason Shinra created SOLDIER, and while many confuse our loyalties to the President, our true mission is for the people.”

“Chivalrous,” Cloud muttered, allowing Sephiroth to take his other hand. His now free hand was bandaged neatly. He flexed his fingers a bit, feeling the pull of his dressing against his skin. Getting bandaged up was probably the most unnecessary thing he had agreed to, but the thought was nice. Even if he was probably going to have to take it off as Wolf. “The marketing department sure does sell that idea with the armour and everything.”

Sephiroth actually chuckled a bit at his comment, his eyes crinkling handsomely and his lips pulling upward. Cloud almost felt taken aback. He didn’t think he had ever seen Sephiroth smile, much less laugh . A tiny part of him had thought the General was incapable. 

“I actually chose that design specifically when I was first given this position.” The General maintained his soft smile, pausing in his work to recall the memory. Cloud felt himself lean slightly forward despite himself. “Genesis had lent me some medieval play and filled my head with the like. He convinced me to propose the idea of traditional armour.”

“Doesn’t seem like you and Genesis are very friendly now,” Cloud looked away, wondering if he should expose his ‘friend’s’ betrayal. It wouldn’t be good for himself, but he couldn’t shake how distasteful Genesis’s actions were. Asshole or not, getting stabbed in the back wasn’t good news for anyone. “What was he saying about you and those mako shots?”

“A certain dosage of mako is routinely given to all SOLDIERS in order to upkeep physical prowess and protect against degradation of other foreign bodies. Unfortunately, they also have a myriad of side effects that vary widely depending on the individual.” Sephiroth sagged a bit then, his broad shoulders falling for a second. Cloud didn’t want to admit he was pressing for information, but with how sincere the General was acting, he actually felt a little bad. “In my case I usually have migraines, increased temperature, and fatigue. These in turn, often make me short with others. If I’ve been short with you I do apologize, Cloud. It was not my intention.”

“No uh,” Cloud didn’t mention he clearly deflected the question regarding Genesis, and instead looked at his hand which Sephiroth was still bandaging slowly. He coughed, suddenly looking at his half blown up sandal. Had he really walked into Shinra wearing that? “I actually thought you were nicer than you generally are.”

“On the contrary, I thought you were just as suspicious as you usually are,” Sephiroth looked up at him through lowered eyes, a teasing smirk just visible underneath his shadow of hair. Cloud did not make eye contact. He had fallen in that trap ten too many times. “Is there anything you’d like to share about my vent?”

Despite having finished bandaging, Sephiroth had yet to release his hand, his green eyes as persistent as his touch. Cloud didn’t want to pull his hand away now and risk looking like a guilty convict, but he was about through with the whole hand holding situation. Sephiroth seemed to have a hard time understanding what personal space was. 

“I don’t think your cleaner’s doing a great job. Piece of dust fell on my paper is all.” The blonde swallowed despite himself, still staring at his half seared shoe. Vincent and Cait Sith were probably waiting for him. He needed to finish his paperwork fast so he could get on to more important things. “Anyway, we should both be back to work if you’re done now.”

Sephiroth stood, as if he was ready to do just that, but paused, his green eyes roving all over Cloud’s face, and then down to his neck. He stopped looking around after that, a trace of anger suddenly furrowing his brow.

“You would do well not to engage with Genesis again, Cloud. I won’t always be around to save you.”

“Who said I need to be saved?” Cloud asked before thinking, standing himself to try and look Sephiroth in the eyes. When he made very awkward eye contact with the general’s scantily clad chest, he took a breath and tilted his head back enough to glare. He was never wearing heel-less sandals into Shinra again. 

“An injury like this could have been lethal,” Without warning, the General’s hand shot forward, his fingers suddenly brushing at his blistering skin. They felt cool against the heated skin of his neck, almost like a reprieve- but Cloud jerked away almost instantly at his touch. “I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that.”

“I get the point,” Cloud said coldly, returning to his seat. Sephiroth stared at him as if he was slightly taken aback, glanced at his own hand, and then finally moved to sit behind his desk again. 

“Play with fire…” The General murmured, his eyes returning to his monitor. Cloud looked up to glare at him, their eyes meeting. “And you will be burned. Don’t forget that, Strife.”

Chapter Text

When Cloud stumbled out of Sephiroth’s office, he was just about ready to go home and never think about any of his choices, or their consequences for the rest of his miserable life. Gaia could be damned for all he cared, but he didn’t get the chance to ruminate on that thought. 

“You’re done,” Vincent greeted him, standing directly outside Sephiroth’s office. The blonde took the chance to look down both ends of the hallway before giving his friend an incredulous look. Vincent looked slightly weary himself, as if he had been waiting a long time for him. The blame really went to Sephiroth. Impromptu bandaging sessions were time-consuming on all accounts. 

“Aren’t you worried about being seen here?” Cloud asked, as Vincent put a hand on his shoulder and transported them somewhere else. When Cloud’s sight returned, he realized they were in Reeve’s office facing his cameras. 

“We have a major issue- which I understand is not your fault, but will definitely result in having major repercussions.” Reeve said, playing at none of the pretenses he had in their previous meeting. He quickly stood and made his way toward the camera, a pointer stick in his hand. Cloud hadn't seen him so anxious before, his eyes wide and speech nearing incoherent. “Are you familiar with this girl?”

Cloud squinted at the camera, and realized he was looking at the young kid that had been in Seventh Heaven that very morning- right before the Behemoth attack. Looking even closer, he could see she was wearing different clothes than she had previously, a long tail and rounded pair of ears on her head.

“No,” Cloud stated, swallowing thickly. He frowned, looking towards his feet. “She was at Seventh Heaven earlier, though.”

Reeve drew an exhausted hand down his face, his shoulders falling and making his suit look way too baggy on his thin frame. He let out a very shaky sigh, looking nearly pained. 

“This girl was caught by Professor Hojo just a few hours ago, and upon finding her and her ‘special’ materia, he immediately informed Heidegger and Scarlet. All of Shinra is going to be after you now.” Reeve breathed deeply through his nose, his dark eyes just barely meeting his. “Do you have any idea how my materia ended up in her hands?”

Cloud scratched the back of his neck, staring at the girl in the camera. She was currently shouting, her face pinched and fists clenched by her sides, but that didn’t seem to phase any of the people standing outside her containment cell. They stood with their backs turned toward the camera, cold and distant. She was being studied like a science experiment rather than a fellow person.

“Not sure if Cait Sith told you, but Seventh Heaven blew up today.” Cloud crossed his feet, leaning against Reeve’s desk. He briefly recalled all of their materia disappearing, and hung his head, bitter. “She probably took advantage of the chaos and robbed us.”

Whoever this kid was, she had almost cost Cloud and his friend’s their lives. Part of him wanted some sort of retribution no matter how terrible that was. 

Reeve stared at him horrified, before dropping his stick. 

“I don’t watch Cait Sith’s footage until the end of the day, usually. Cloud- I’m so sorry.” Reeve stood to his full height then, the wrinkles in his suit just barely smoothing and took a step toward the blonde, his eyes soft. Vincent didn’t seem to buy the expression, but Cloud for once felt slightly appreciative of the change in his demeanor. Shinra personnel were not generally known for their sensitivity. “Do you all have some place you can stay in the meantime at least? I can have Cait Sith relocate all of the technology I brought there-”

“That won’t solve the problem.” Vincent cut in, his arms crossed and expression dark.  This hadn’t been the first time he had lost a home to a monster attack. “Monsters will relentlessly seek out our kind. Unless you can figure out what’s drawing them to us, there's no point in purchasing a new residence.”

Reeve paused, staring at him, before firmly nodding, his hand to his chest. 

“I’ve actually been researching this issue. I can’t make any promises, but I think I should be able to make a breakthrough in at least a week.” Reeve looked toward Cloud then, placing a firm hand on his shoulder. The blonde knew what was coming. Reeve was about to ask them to get his materia. “Do you think you’re in a good enough state to retrieve that materia from the science department? If you can’t-”

“We’ll do it,” Vincent said before Cloud could even think, his red eyes alight. The blonde had never seen such an expression on his face before. “Have your research prepared in three days. We put others at risk so long as we’re living in public spaces.”

Without waiting for his response, Vincent touched his arm and portalled them onto the 68th floor, the smell and sight making Cloud’s stomach roil with nervousness. The last time Vincent had been in the Shinra science department was probably back when he had been experimented on- he probably felt sick too. The blonde quickly rolled his dice, looking at his friend incredulously. 

“I would have appreciated a heads up, at least.” Cloud murmured, peaking around the massive glass tank they were behind. the angry girl was just a few tanks away from them, still looking just as pissed as she had on camera. In front of her stood a small, greasy man with a smile that would scare away a behemoth; he stood hunched painfully low, his hands rubbing together and eyes round and bulging. The other people Cloud had seen on the camera seemed to be missing from the scene before him making the situation look deceptively simple.

  “Mako radiation used to temporarily denature human DNA to allow space for animal genes to be added- fascinating, and yet clearly an amateur's work…” The scientist neared her tank and looked glanced over his shoulder. “Force her to separate with the materia. I want to check her genetic structure as well as the materia itself.”

“You just try and touch me, you ugly old man! You’re so afraid, I bet you won’t even come face me by yourself! Yeah, I dare you! Come at me!” The little girl shouted, pounding on the walls of her glass prison. Cloud looked at Vincent and drew a hand down his face. 

“We should split up for maximum efficiency.” Vincent whispered, refusing to meet Cloud’s eyes. He seemed distracted. “I’ll work on removing the girl. You keep Hojo’s attention. We’ll regroup as soon as she’s secured.”

Cloud gave Vincent a nod, stepping out from behind the tank and dashing forward. He was able to grab ahold of the main scientist -Hojo’s- lab coat with relative ease, the other scientists behind him gasping with well-timed shock. 

“Let her go, or I’m killing your leader,” Cloud threatened, his blade drawn and eyes lowered menacingly. He heard the girl gasp behind him too, nearly in sync with the researchers. 

“So she has comrades, does she? How many of your kind are there, boy?” The scientist made no sign he was even slightly scared, or threatened. He grinned down at Cloud, very interested. “Do you all carry modified materia? Or has something genetically been changed within you?”

“Hey you’re the guy who stole my materia!” The girl suddenly yelled. Cloud glanced slightly over his shoulder to see her pointing at him accusingly. Where was Vincent? “I’d recognize that blizzaga anywhere! It was in my bag and then suddenly, it wasn’t! That's how I ended up here, captured. Its ‘cause you stole-”

“You stole my materia,” Cloud corrected, dropping the scientist onto the ground and stabbing his sword into his hand. “Release her now, or his head is next!”

Hojo howled, finally shouting to his lackeys’ to release the sealed prison. The blonde hadn’t wanted to be so ruthless, even if the scientist seemed to deserve it, but with Vincent missing, he felt nervous and very exposed. A shower of bullets suddenly came from his right, nearly hitting him if not for his feathered friend’s untimely entrance. With a beat of his wings, the bullets were sent back to their source, leaving Vincent to land in front of him defensively. 

“Vincent Valentine? I thought you would’ve died of mako poisoning by now!” Hojo suddenly choked, his voice raspy with pain. After a second he sounded like he was choking, but Cloud belatedly realized it was laughter- disgusting, distorted laughter. “How’s Lucretia doing? Has she turned into a monster like you have?”

Vincent turned slowly, anger a terrifying thing on his usually placid face. His red eyes looked as if they were flaming, his teeth bared in a snarl. But his voice was still deathly cold, betraying no sign of his dismay. 

“There’s no greater monster than you, Professor.”

“And yet I’m not the one to have been expelled from society,” Hojo cackled, pointing toward Vincent like he was an ongoing circus act. Cloud cut down a handful of the infantrymen that were crowding into the room, before sinking his fist into the side of Hojo’s face. The tiny scientist was flung into the opposite wall, his laughter still echoing in the blonde’s ears. Cloud growled, feeling his own anger rising. 

“Yeah, get that old bastard!” The girl cheered, having finally crawled out of her prison. She was transformed too, their missing materia surely hidden on her person somewhere. With impressive elasticity, she flipped, kicking two scientists in the head. “This is just a taste of Wutai’s fury!”

“We’ll be overrun. We need to get out of here! Vincent!” Cloud shouted, searching for his friend as more infantrymen crowded the science department. In just a few seconds they had ended up separated again. They wanted to be out of Shinra by the time the SOLDIERs decided to make their entrance. Or worse, before Hollander decided to show. At this rate, Cloud couldn’t help but worry about their escape route.

After cutting down a few more scientists, Vincent emerged, the secondary part of his wing- the part that connected to his back- dyed a deep crimson. Cloud rushed toward him, grabbing a hold of the girl and pulling her with him despite the fact she was in the middle of swinging her fist. The blonde didn’t pay any mind to her protests. His mind was solely on his injured friend. 

“Vincent!” Cloud called once again, grunting as the edge of a blunt blade hit his shoulder. Cloud shook it off, pushing into his friend. When Vincent finally turned to acknowledge him, the blonde paused, his eyes widening. Sharp cracks connected from the edges of his eyes, curving down to his lips and all the way down his neck. His usually red eyes now glowed gold, the pupil slit and coruscating. Seeing him up close, Cloud finally realised it wasn’t blood on his back, his feathers were simply turning crimson. When Cloud felt heightened emotions, his ears or tail might pop out, but it seemed in Vincent’s case he completely transformed. 

Red had made a point in differentiating between Cloud and Vincent. The blonde hadn’t realised what actually made that difference until now.

“We-we need to go!” Cloud reiterated to the man, shaking off his confusion. Vincent blinked at him unfamiliarly before he seemed to recognize Cloud and nodded. With a single touch, the surrounding laboratory dissolved into a curtain of dark feathers. After a second their party of three tumbled onto a grassy plane, bright sunlight shining down on their cooled skin. 

“Wha- what was that?! You guys are awesome! We were absolutely destroying Shinra!” The girl exclaimed, pumping her fist before grabbing both of their shoulders to grin in their faces brightly. “And when that guy started trash-talking and you punched him- and then I swept in to deal the final blow-!”

Cloud pulled away from her touch, and glanced at Vincent discreetly. The distance from Shinra seemed to have calmed him significantly, the fissures in his skin slowly closing and his eyes losing their glow. He was starting to return to how he usually looked, which was a good sign in Cloud’s book. 

“Return our stolen materia.” The blonde responded calmly, putting a hand on his hip and stretching his other hand forth. The girl blinked, losing some of her enthusiasm. “If you return what you took, things don’t have to get messy.”

She blinked a few times before sidling up to Vincent innocently.

“We were an awesome team together though, right?! And you guys want to destroy Shinra and everything, just like I do! We should work together!” The girl shook Vincent’s shoulder a bit before nodding to herself satisfiedly. Vincent looked towards her, silent. “Yuffie Kisaragi, the rose of Wutai and, uh, you guys! Look, our names sound so good together!” 

“Materia.” Cloud repeated, shaking his open hand. Yuffie looked at him, her wide eyes narrowing in disappointment. Cloud didn’t flinch when her bottom lip started wobbling dangerously. 

“Fine! Take it!” Yuffie slapped Cloud’s hand leaving a single, blue orb that shimmered like water on glass. It was Tifa’s materia. She looked towards Vincent, hoping to get some sympathy from the older man, but he continued to look on passively.

“The golden one too,” Cloud said, sighing. He looked toward Vincent before murmuring. “The rest of the group needs to meet you before we decide if you can join the team, anyway.”

“Seriously?! You’ll let me join?! I’ve been living on the streets for days since I was a stowaway on this dingy, old ship! It stopped at Wutai, and then Junon, and nobody was any wiser that I, the great and powerful Yuffie, was hitching a ride,” She explained, speaking faster than Cloud was sure even his motorcycle traveled. The girl dropped her head suddenly, her brown eyes losing their spark. “But it was really lonely. I haven’t talked to anyone in days, and I’ve been eating Cokatolis meat for so long I don’t even remember what other food tastes like!”

“We’ll see,” Cloud said, running a hand down his face feeling far above his age. Reeve had mentioned they needed someone from Wutai. If this wasn’t Gaia slapping him in the face, he wasn’t sure what it was.

Chapter Text

The conference room was humming with low conversation when Sephiroth found his seat beside Angeal. A few other executives sat around the table already- with only a few minutes before the meeting’s start, it was odd to find so many chairs empty. After a brief moment, Sephiroth opened up his laptop to glance over Genesis’s latest report. 

After reading the first line, Sephiroth immediately knew it was Zack who had written the piece, and Genesis who had signed.

“A pleasure to see such healthy faces present in this meeting today,” Hojo greeted, standing from his seat to wave his liver-spotted hands in greeting. While it was usually very odd for anyone from the science department to attend an executive-level meeting, in the case of funding, that statement was often amended. “I called this meeting with the permission of the president to present an S-level security breach in lab D-277.”

The lights in the room gradually lowered as Hojo began fighting with the projector remote in order to display some graphic or video. Reeve Tuesti, the head of Urban Development, quickly took his chance to sneak into the room looking weary. Despite using the President’s name, the man himself seemed to be missing from the meeting. 

Suddenly, the projector stuttered and finally displayed the footage taken from Hojo’s laboratory, albeit in a very low quality resolution. Wolf dashed into view, the purple of his suit diminished in the camera’s lens and sword drawn at the ready. He quickly grabbed hold of Hojo, spoke, and then proceeded to stab the scientist in his hand. After a moment, a red blur crossed the screen before the footage was reduced to black and white noise. The lights gradually faded on, with Hojo clearing his throat painfully. 

“I’m sure quite a few questions have been brought to mind, but with my laboratory having been destroyed, I will ask the first question: Where were the SOLDIERs when this occurred? Where were the Sweepers? And why the hell are these infantry men so useless?!” Hojo fell back into his seat after his fit, breathing roughly through his nose before coughing. "And where is that fat, old reject Hollander? I wanted him here for this meeting specifically!”

“It was you, specifically, Hojo,” Scarlet began, raising a glass of wine to her lips. “That forbade my designs from ever entering your labs.”

“As for the SOLDIERs on call during that period of time,” Lazard said, removing his glasses to wipe them; it was a nervous habit. Why hadn’t SOLDIERs arrived when the science department had called? That was because Sephiroth had ignored the call and proceeded to work. It was his way of protesting against his unneeded mako injections.“The First Class was in a special training simulation, and recently the number of monster attacks have rapidly increased which caused the Second Class to-”

“I’d like to know where these creatures came from!” Heidegger declared, slamming a fist on the table. Genesis looked up lazily from where he had been filing his nails to roll his eyes at Angeal before returning to his monotonous task. “They broke into Shinra? What confidence! I say we bring back public executions to make an example of these-”

“Excuse me-” Reeve interjected, with a hand. Every executive aside from those from the SOLDIER department looked up as if they hadn’t even realised the man was attending. “I see they did quite a bit of damage to your lab, however I must ask what their goal was. Laboratory D-277 is fairly isolated, isn’t that correct?”

“Their ‘goal’ doesn’t matter,” Scarlet responded, leaning onto her palm. “I, for once, agree with Heidegger. Shinra’s been reigning in its strengths, and as a result many have tried to stand against us…”

Angeal gently tapped Sephiroth’s shoulder and lowered the phone from his ear, his usually gentle eyes tense. 

“Sephiroth, I’ve got a call from the Public Safety Department in Sector Four. Looks like there's a monster attack-”

“I’ll go.” Sephiroth responded rather quickly, shutting his laptop with a click. 

“You’re actually done with your civil hours for this month if you’d like me to-”

“I am aware, thank you Angeal.” Sephiroth said, noting the unanswered question in his friend’s voice. “Tell Genesis I expect a full briefing of the remainder of this meeting when I return.”

Angeal chuckled a bit under his breath before shooting him a thumbs up and turning to the red-haired man. Sephiroth, who had not been listening for a good majority of the meeting, took his hasty escape with pleasure. 

It was time to speak to Wolf again.

Introducing Yuffie to everyone had been less hectic than Cloud had anticipated. And after arranging terms, Tifa had even agreed to fully forgive her for stealing all of their materia and nearly getting them killed. Yuffie was going to have to work at Seventh Heaven with reduced pay for a long time… But that wasn’t Cloud’s problem. 

While the blonde had been dealing with the witness statement report at Shinra, Barret and Tifa had taken catalogue of everything that was and was not in working condition, and while things initially appeared pretty rough after a while they realised something. The majority of the kitchen had remained intact. The main piping and electricity in the building was out, sure, but with Reeve’s help they might be able to maintain Cloud’s delivery business and live off of that for a while. In the meantime, Barret, Marlene, and Tifa had gone to live with Zack and Aerith while Denzel took to staying with Cloud. Yuffie had chosen to stay with Cid and Shera- mostly because no one else had much room, but she didn't seem to mind too much. It definitely wasn’t the brightest situation, but they were mostly figuring things out with all of them looking for temporary jobs. 

Cloud had woken up this morning hoping to get somewhere in his job search, but Cait Sith was spamming him before he had eaten two spoonfuls of his Chocobo Crunch. The animatronic was the only one who was still in the partially destroyed cafe, watching all of the surveillance cameras Reeve had set up for them so he could alert them whenever the need arose, and cut footage from Shinra’s security cameras.

Now Cloud was transformed with Red- they had decided it best that Vincent stay and watch over Denzel- and on the way to Sector Four to stop whatever monster had decided to appear and get back on the job hunt. His wallet was already hurting as it was. 

“Check my PHS, Red. Where in Sector Four should we be looking?” Cloud asked, his breath a white puff in the chilled air. Autumn was just passing by now, leaving Midgar in the cold, blustery embrace of winter. It wasn’t the worst sort of cold Cloud had ever encountered, growing up in Nibelheim and all, but it couldn’t have been comfortable for Red. He had stayed in Cosmo Canyon his entire life, and there wasn’t so much as a flake of snow within a few hundred miles of the southwestern region.

“I recall him mentioning the centre fountain… Near the railway?” Red said, reminding Cloud that he couldn’t physically check a PHS. The blonde nodded, picking up speed on his newly painted bike. Sephiroth would never recognize Fenrir now that she was spray-painted completely black.

They drove around for a bit, the air becoming colder and rougher on his skin before Cloud parked somewhat discreetly, and glanced around. The railway was empty, and almost no one stood around the station waiting. That was the first thing Cloud took as a sign. Next was the smell.

“There’s something in the air,” Red muttered, his head raised and nose twitching. Cloud sniffed himself, and found a thin layer of frost had covered his arms when he had stood still. That wasn’t normal. “It almost smells like… rotten eggs?”

Cloud stared at him oddly before shaking off his arms and hair to free himself of ice. He dashed forward, knowing Red would follow.

“We need to get to the fountain. There's a lake near there-”

“Do Midgar lakes often smell of decaying food?” Red inquired, matching his pace. The fountain was close enough to the station to not require vehicle transportation. “Is that a commonality?”

“Shinra dumps a lot of their shit around. The lakes in the slums are a great refuse spot.”

Both Cloud and Red halted to a painful stop as they made it to the fountain beside the lake- both  of which were entirely covered in what looked to be a thick sheet of ice. Even the surrounding area had been painted white with snow, the air practically slicing through any exposed skin with its cold. It was at the centre of the lake, that a small form sat- barely visible from a distance. To Cloud, the form didn’t seem to be any older than a child with frosted blue skin, and terrible posture, but it was probably the monster they were seeking out.

“Should we just go for it?” Cloud asked, eyeing the centre of the lake oddly. “I mean, she doesn’t really seem like she's gonna move.” 

“A tactical approach is often better, Wolf.” Sephiroth answered, fluttering down beside him, his frosted silver hair gleaming in the Midgar sun. Cloud pointedly chose not to stare any longer and moved to draw his largest sword. “Sector Four’s Public Safety Department would not have enlisted the aid of SOLDIER if the task at hand was easily completed.”

“They could be lazy, or tired,” Cloud shrugged, still eyeing the creature at the centre of the lake. It was odd how often the monsters just seemed to stay in a single particular area. It wasn’t like they were running around aiming to cause trouble… So what was it they were waiting for? “That ever cross your mind, General?”

“I’m tired,” Red sighed, his usually wet nose, nearly solid white with ice. The cat smacked it away with his paw, barely suppressing a painful shiver. Cloud wanted to pat his head sympathetically, but chose to remain still.

“You’re another vigilante, I presume?” Sephiroth asked, his pale skin faintly reddened by the cold. Despite the surrounding reactions, Cloud felt surprisingly warm, maybe because he was nervous. Honestly speaking, it was almost like the cold had no effect on him. Nibel wolves rarely reacted to the cold of their freezing, mountainous homes… It made sense that Cloud would gain some cold resistance being related and all. “What should I refer to you as?”

“Whatever you’d like,” The lion snapped, dashing forward and leaving a trail of pawprints in his wake. Cloud shrugged at Sephiroth and followed Red’s lead, remembering a similar conversation just a few weeks prior. Before the blonde could feel happy he and Red were on better terms, his boot made contact with ice and sent him slipping across the frozen surface ridiculously. After a second he collided with Red who was scrambling on all four of his feet to regain his balance, and both were sent scrambling once again in the opposite direction.

“Perhaps you both should consider joining SOLDIER. The training would be beneficial for you.” Sephiroth said, gracefully gliding over the frozen surface of the lake with his sword drawn. Cloud had finally steadied himself near the edge of the lake, when the figure- the little girl suddenly looked up, her eyes the same frosted blue as her skin. Within a second of her movement, Sephiroth’s wings turned completely to ice, and a surrounding blizzard spreading out over the surface of the wide lake covering everything in white. 

Cloud heard Sephiroth fall hard onto the ice before he saw it, the cold wind nearly blinding and full of sharp shards of ice. The wind was so strong, Cloud had to use one of his thinner swords as a walking stick, barely stabbing into the ice sheet beneath his feet to try and pull himself forward. It felt like a painful eternity before he finally found the small figure again, still sitting just as she had. 

Suddenly very through with the situation, Cloud pulled his sword out of the ice and swung it toward her, cutting through the ice roughly. The girl remained where she was, as incorporeal as before, only she flashed a crazy grin toward him, sending a chill down his spine. Sephiroth suddenly leaped down from the sky, his sword pointed downward, and stabbed just a few inches from Cloud’s sword. The girl sat completely unharmed. She almost looked amused. They couldn’t hit her with physical weapons.

“What do you think you’re doing? You can’t just jump on ice!” Cloud shouted, his voice almost completely absorbed by the roar of the storm. Sephiroth glared at him pulling his sword out from the ice, only to have it knock into Cloud’s, a long piece of his hair slapping into the blonde’s face as it whipped about wildly. Cloud noticed his wings had remained encased in ice, his usually pallid skin now blooming with red.

“I was having a difficult time seeing-” Before he could finish a large crack sounded beneath them, sending both of them looking downwards. With both of their combined weights- Sephiroth being the most with his wings and full suit of armour- and the combined force of their sword strikes, the ice underneath their feet was splitting. And there was definitely still running water beneath them. 

“What were you saying about SOLDIER advice?” Cloud asked, still staring at the rapidly cracking ice beneath his feet. The last time he had fallen into an iced lake was when his mom had been alive. That felt like a different lifetime ago now.

“It's best to distribute your weight-” Before Sephiroth could continue his explanation, the ice beneath their feet gave out, sending them both plunging into the freezing water. Cloud, who hadn’t felt cold prior to his swim, felt the frigid water on his skin and nearly seized with shock and pain, hastily grabbing ahold of the man in front of him. Almost immediately Cloud realized they were both sinking- Sephiroth’s armour was dragging him down no matter how he tried to swim upwards, but luckily something grabbed ahold of his collar too. Red glanced down at him, Cloud’s large purple collar in between his teeth. He was just in time.

“You can’t hit her with physical attacks,” Cloud said, his half submerged body shaking with cold. Sephiroth, who was fully submerged and pulling him downward, let out a few ominous bubbles from underneath the water's surafce. The ice which had cracked was rapidly growing inward once again, getting closer and closer to Cloud’s waist. “Let us go. You use your firaga materia. As soon as she's gone the ice should break.”

“You’ll be trapped underneath the surface without air,” Red said between his clenched teeth, his golden eye fearful. “What if magic doesn’t work-”

“You’ll figure it out, I trust you,” Cloud said wearily, pulling away from Red’s hold and sinking under the ice. As soon as Cloud fell under the surface, Sephiroth peered up at him, his emerald green eyes glowing in the darkness, but this staring contest was cut painfully short as the General’s eyes began to flutter. He had been under too long. Cloud felt his own lungs beginning to burn in his struggle to break the ice above them, a frightened fish nearly slapping his face as it tried to swim away.

Both men made furious eye contact before Sephiroth’s eyes fell completely shut, leaving them both in complete darkness. Cloud glanced upwards, his heart hammering away in his chest as he felt his own mouth gasp for air, and instead swallow a mouthful of water. Struggling, the blonde pulled on Sephiroth’s completely limp form, attempting to get as close to the surface as he could before his own consciousness gave out. An explosion of orange suddenly appeared above the thick layer of ice, a large crack spiralling outward from where Cloud could assume Red was. 

Seeing his chance, and fuelled by his quickly filling lungs, Cloud thrashed wildly upwards with Sephiroth in tow until he felt someone alleviate some of his burden and help drag him towards the shore. Even as his sight was failing him, Cloud knew it was Red. He had made a good call, trusting the cat. 

“C-Wolf!” Red exclaimed as the blonde drunkenly pulled himself and a very limp Sephiroth onto the lake’s shore. He coughed painfully, mouthfuls of water spurting from his lips and making him gag. It hurt to breathe, but the cold hurt so much more. Cloud wasn’t sure if he would ever feel warm again. “Can you breathe? Should I find help somewhere?”

“No,” The blonde said, still coughing weakly. Having finally gotten back to somewhat stable condition made him turn to the next problem they had: Sephiroth. Cloud fumbled over to where the General was collapsed, his long legs still wading in the shallows of the lake and wings still very frozen. “He doesn’t look good…”

Sephiroth’s face had lost its previous flush, looking more pale- not how it usually was, but pure white, like the snow that was still around them. He looked dead. Cloud immediately grabbed at his armour, looking to remove it and give the man some very necessary chest-compressions. 

“Do you know how to resuscitate him?” Red asked, worry a clear thing in his voice. Cloud glanced nervously, his heart even more wild. Had he drowned The General Sephiroth of Shinra? “If he’s dead then we’ll have to deal with the full brunt of Shinra’s fury. That's not to mention a somewhat innocent man’s life…”

“I’m trying!” Cloud shouted, tearing his armour off and pushing down on his chest with clumsy, shaking hands. He was counting under his breath, but despite his efforts Sephiroth didn’t move. The blonde got to around twenty, which he assumed was near the correct number and then looked back towards Red. “I don’t think it's working.”

“There isn’t anything more you can do?” Red asked, frantically pattering up to sniff at Sephiroth’s wet forehead. Cloud stared himself, shivering over the passed out General. “He can’t die! You need to give him air!”

“I-I’m not certified!” Cloud shouted, shaking his head and sending tiny wet droplets of water about. He grabbed Sephiroth’s head and stared at the unconscious man with horror before letting it fall back. “I’ve only seen Tifa do the heimlich on Cid once , when he choked on a chocolate cigarette!”

“Just give him a breath!” Red directed, his voice the loudest Cloud had ever heard it. 

“You give him one!” The blonde shouted, looking between Red and Sephiroth frantically. 

“I can’t,” Red deadpanned, shaking his head and pinning Cloud with a cold one-eyed gaze. “When General Sephiroth dies the fate of Midgar will-”

“Fuck! Fine!” Cloud swallowed, gently tilting Sephiroth’s head back and staring at him dumbly. His lashes, which were decorated by tiny icy crystals remained unmoving, breath no longer passing through his purple-tinted lips. His long hair clung to his wet skin in clumps, forcing Cloud to push a few of the stubborn strands away from his lips as he readied himself. 

Coughing once himself, Cloud sucked in a large breath of air and leaned down ready to deliver a breath to the dying General, and stopped again just centimeters from his face only to suddenly knock foreheads with him. Sephiroth sputtered roughly, water dripping down his lips and onto his thin undershirt, completely awake.

“Cloud…” Sephiroth said, making the blonde freeze a moment before catching himself. He was still transformed, he was safe. Sephiroth was just so focused on his stupid mission, he muttered the blonde’s name. It was an honest mistake. The General flashed his dulled gaze upwards, meeting Cloud’s eyes, a familiar smirk pulling at his lips. “I thought that would have worked.”

Or maybe he was just a lying asshole. Cloud threw himself off of Sephiroth angrily, and collapsed into the dirt beside Red, his heart still pattering away in his chest. Next time he was sending Tifa, Vincent, and Yuffie to deal with whatever the hell Shinra had going on. He and Red deserved a break.

“I should have let him drown,” Cloud groaned, rubbing a hand down his own face that was still frosted with freezing lake water. His own long blonde hair was still dripping down his bare shoulders and back. “And to even think I was dumb enough to assume a lake could kill Shinra’s General.”

“I, uhm,” Red tucked his nose down, sneezed, and blinked at Cloud innocently, his ears pulled back. He was the spitting image of a sad, wet, little cat. “I suppose I got a bit caught up in some catastrophic thoughts. I apologize, Wolf.”

Cloud didn’t even turn to glare at Red, knowing he wouldn’t be able to maintain any anger toward his feline friend. Now, his feelings towards Sephiroth were a completely different story. 

“Despite your nervousness, you were surprisingly adept at removing my armour and attempting CPR, Wolf. You reacted well.” Sephiroth said, rising and walking into his line of sight. With his chestplate off, all he was wearing was a thoroughly soaked compression shirt that gave Cloud way more to think about than he wanted. The General pulled his hair over his shoulder and squeezed it, watching a large amount of water drip back into the ground. “Were you able to secure the ‘parasite’ as you called it?”

“I incinerated it.” Red said, licking at his paws, his wet fur drying in spiky tufts. It made him look a little poofy and awkward at certain angles.

“How long were you awake down there?” Cloud asked coldly.

Sephiroth didn’t grace him with an answer, but his ever present smirk spoke volumes for his silence. One didn’t get to the top of Shinra’s ranks without being a conniving piece of shit.

The blonde stopped himself from cursing the man aloud- as that was very obviously Cloud's first instinct, and tried to think how a heroic person like Wolf would respond having been toyed with. Righteous indignation wasn't really his style, but neither was remaining passive. “Waste all the time you want. As long as you're not slaughtering the animals, it's not my problem.”

“It became your problem the moment you attempted to stand against Shinra.” Sephiroth said casually, making the blonde turn to scrunch his nose up at him. Instead of elaborating, he flapped his massive wings, shattering their frozen prison and sending a mass of icy shards everywhere. Cloud hated how ethereal the man looked being showered by sparkling pieces of ice, his wings flapping regally. He wanted to punch him after his trick, not admire him.

“Are you going to explain, or is that all you're going to say?’’

“Everything comes at a price, Wolf.” Sephiroth said, nearing him dangerously. The blonde stood up himself, feeling threatened. “I expect some information in return for giving my own.”

“I don’t need your information.” Cloud said, shaking his head to try and remove some more water. Sephiroth flinched away from the spray, his eyes ever-watchful. Cloud jerked his head toward Red and gave an insincere wave without turning around. “See you next monster.”

Sephiroth stared after his back, an inquisitive look in his eyes.

"So you must have another informant then..."

Cloud’s apartment felt like a warm haven when he got back, like a warm hug he definitely didn’t know he needed. Vincent and Denzel had tried making pancakes out of the cheese and flour Barret had brought over the previous day which led to their current breakfast- an odd mix of dough, cheese, and something green. 

“So now that we’re not fighting for our lives… Maybe we should talk.” Cloud said, currently bundled in four sweaters and a jacket. He was just about sure he would never feel warm again. Red was sitting on the couch, wrapped like burrito in the only three blankets the blonde owned, the only thing poking out at the end, his sniffling nose. Denzel had very caringly placed a cheese pancake in front of the cat, which Red occasionally nibbled on when no one was looking. “I feel like there's been a lot of stuff going on lately. “

Denzel coughed, rubbing his nose before cutting into a particularly charred piece of cheese. Vincent, who Cloud only now realized was wearing his chocobo shirt, was apparently not the best at the stove. 

When no one continued Cloud’s conversation, the blonde sighed, wiping a hand down his face. He wouldn’t push Vincent for information like Sephiroth did to him. His reclusive roommate had never been much of a talker anyway. He would open up when he decided to. 

“Does anyone have any preferences for dinner?” 

Before anyone could answer, Cloud’s phone buzzed loudly, prompting Denzel to pop out of his seat and flip his PHS open with more confidence than Cloud would ever possess. 

“Uncle Barret? What's going on?” Denzel paused for a second before moving over to Red and picking up the discarded television remote. After pressing a few buttons forcefully, the television flickered to life, the screen disrupted by a large crackling bar. “I turned it on, but it's kind of hard to see.”

Cloud stood up and bent one of the antennas carefully, watching the screen stabilize a bit. When the green of Sephiroth’s eyes peered back at him, Cloud folded it again, scowling. After a second, his deep voice cut through the apartment.

“Thank you for the introduction, President. Running for Midgar is a recent campaign of mine brought to life by the need my job presents me with.” Sephiroth paused, tucking a loose strand of his already styled hair behind his ear. Cloud was glad he couldn’t see his whole face. “Saving the people of Midgar is my job, yes- but the aftermath of monster attacks is devastating.”

Sephiroth straightened, a handsome smile pulling at his lips. Cloud personally thought it looked very fake, but he didn’t comment and crossed his arms instead. 

“Running for Midgar is my way of giving back to the families, businesses, and people who have suffered due to a monster attack. Each Sector will be given the chance to participate in a marathon of sorts. For every lap run, a sum of gil will be given. The Sector that manages to run the most laps will receive a flat sum of five million gil donated as well as their earned sum, and-”

“Cloud, you’re a wolf! You could easily outrun everyone in Midgar!” Denzel exclaimed, looking up with wide, hopeful eyes. The blonde swallowed roughly, still glaring at the screen.

“We’re not participating.”

“And, the singular person who manages to run the most laps in the winning Sector will receive a personal reward of five hundred thousand gil.” Sephiroth smirked then, as if he knew exactly what he had said, and the uproar it was sure to cause for however long his marathon lasted.

“We’re all gonna participate!” Barret shouted, his excitement clear through the PHS. Five hundred thousand gil was not a small sum. He could probably have Seventh Heaven fixed in a week with five hundred thousand. He could probably convince Tifa to open a second Kalm location and pay for it to be fully manned. He could purchase a decent apartment- Vincent and Red could have their own rooms. He could help Reeve stand against Shinra with that much gil- he could do anything.

Five hundred thousand gil was too much. And Cloud needed every last coin of it.

Chapter Text

The temporary place Reeve had found them was in Sector Three, completely surrounded by unfinished buildings and the sound of the rumbling reactor. The house itself was large- much larger than anything Cloud had lived in at least. It was a three story building made of mismatched wedges of metal, bolted together roughly. He could appreciate the craftsmanship that had clearly gone into constructing it. It was also still under the plate which made for a familiar silver sky as well as the familiar stench of slums. Cloud would never openly admit he found it comforting. 

“So no more neighbours, huh?” Barret asked, shifting from foot to foot. He eyed the building with a sort of wariness, like he was expecting a monster to jump out. “No more Homeowners Association, either. Guess you win and lose some.”

“It is quite isolated, yes.” Reeve replied, waving his arm at the handle-less door. With a click, it unsealed itself, opening into a wide living space that didn’t look anywhere near as rough as the outside. “Shinra doesn’t know about this place either, and I’m hoping to keep it that way.”

Cloud and his friends shuffled in after Reeve, eyeing the place with interest. The living area was furnished lavishly with a flat screen sitting directly in front of enough couches to seat all nine of them and more. There was even a well-stocked bar sitting to the left of the large room, the unopened bottles glittering in the low light. 

“I like the leather couches!” Aerith said, plopping down on the loveseat and pulling Zack down with her. “Zack, we should get some of these!” 

“Should I be making a list?” Zack grinned, leaning into her.

“Was this your home?” Red asked, following as Reeve proceeded through the house. Cloud stayed close behind with Vincent, though the rest of his friends seemed to disperse throughout the many rooms. Tifa for one, seemed particularly interested in the kitchen, while Marlene and Denzel didn’t waste a second before running up the stairs.

“Well, this area was initially marked down to be made into a residential neigbourhood, however that idea was scrapped once trace amounts of mako were found in the groundwater supply.” Reeve explained as he came to a pause in what Cloud could only assume was a drawing room. On the back side of one of the recliners, a discreet lever poked out of the cushion which Reeve wasted no time in activating. After a second, Cloud watched a panel of the floor move away, revealing a ladder. “After the project was scrapped, I decided to renovate this place for my own purposes. To answer your question, while I have spent a few nights here, my main residence is above the plate.”

“And the water supply?” Vincent asked, watching Reeve descend apprehensively. When Cloud shrugged and followed after him, Vincent reluctantly took a hold of the ladder himself. 

“That was actually an interesting process. I created a mesh of sorts that I lined the septic tank with that separates natural, ground water and mako. On a smaller scale, it's not a difficult task.” When they arrived at the bottom of the ladder, Reeve flicked on a large switch, illuminating the basement in bright, white light. It hurt Cloud’s eyes at first, but any thoughts of pain were washed away when his vision cleared. Reeve’s basement was a technician’s wonderland. Tools lined the walls, with individual, labelled compartments divided into sections nearly stacked to the ceiling. A glowing tube of mako sat towards the corner, a few glittering materia floating about. Cloud even noticed a few limp Cait Sith bodies sitting near an opened wardrobe. “I typically use the mako in my materia fusion projects, as you can see- but the water supply is safe. I’ve tested it multiple times.”

“Your temporary house is great and all, but I don’t think it’ll be able to hold.” Cloud said, eyeing the basement regretfully. Fenrir would have had a happy home being here rather than in his apartment’s very sad parking lot. “Monsters won’t discriminate.”

“Well, my main point of bringing you down here was to actually show you this,” Reeve moved to his work desk to pull out a small, triangular stone that radiated with light. It was undeniably the glow of mako. “I’ll be honest when I say I don’t know what's drawing the monsters to you so I tried to design something that could target all potential factors. For example, one thing you all definitely have is exposure to mako radiation. There is also the chance you no longer smell like a human does, or even appear as a human in a monster’s vision. This is just a few examples- but essentially I designed this device to blind the monster’s olfactory senses as well as their vision.”

“That should be helpful,” Cloud nodded, a bit shocked to be in the presence of what he hadn’t realised was a genius. What was Reeve doing working at Shinra as head of Urban Development? His future was in technological design- he was probably better than most of Shinra, only he was moral and not as power-hungry.

“I definitely think so. Without monster attacks, you all will be safe living here until we can find a more permanent solution. Though, there is, unfortunately, one setback…” Reeve sighed, scratching his head and heading back up the ladder. Cloud raised a questioning brow, but didn’t press him until they had made it back to the large living room they had entered in. It seemed everyone aside from Marlene and Denzel had returned to reconvene. “This house is not connected to the general Shinra mako supply that most of Sector Three is powered on. While I thought about connecting it, I felt it would raise too many questions. What that means is that this house is currently powered by a generator that runs completely on natural gas, petroleum, and the solar panels I recently installed on the roof.”

“Do houses under the plate even receive any solar energy?” Vincent asked, looking at Red. The cat shrugged.

“That's what most houses in Wutai run on! The petroleum!” Yuffie suddenly exclaimed, standing from her seat on the handle of Reeve’s couch. She looked excited before her shoulders sagged, and she plopped back down dejectedly. “At least we did before the war. We can’t afford it now.”

“And that comes to the crux of our problem: no alternate forms of electricity are easy to procure in Midgar with Shinra monopolizing the energy industry. So things like natural gas and petroleum are very expensive to pay for.”

“How much are we talkin’ here?” Cid asked, crossing his arms, his brows furrowed. Reeve let out a tired sigh.

“To power the basement and a single bedroom- this house has a total of twelve bedrooms, might I add- it cost around 600 gil per month.” Cloud choked, his eyes widening. “Assuming six to eight of you live here, I would imagine the price could increase to about 4800 monthly. I’m not exactly sure how prices are looking right now, but Shinra doesn’t let most places get too far selling alternate forms of electricity. ”

“That's a lot of gil, that I’m not sure any of us are able to pay right now,” Tifa said, speaking on behalf of everyone. She wasn’t wrong. Between all of the payments Cloud owed, he was pretty sure he would be out of an apartment soon, and that meant both Red and Vincent would be out of housing too. With just the electric bill being at 4800, Cloud couldn’t even buy groceries.

“Not unless we win that marathon,” Barret muttered, his metal fingers on his chin. While Cloud wanted to shoot him down, the exact thought had crossed his own mind. Five hundred thousand gil would smooth things over easily . 

“You- you all can’t really be thinking about participating in that.” Reeve said, looking at them as if they were crazy.  When no one said anything, his eyes widened. Cloud had very recently realized he was going crazy. Slowly but surely, he was dropping most of his principles for Gaia and gil. “General Sephiroth, or Hollander for all we know, could be holding this fundraiser with the intent to find you. Joining could put you in a very vulnerable spot.”

“Five hundred thousand gil could also be exactly what we need to tip the scales in our favour,” Cloud said, gaining surprised looks from most of his friends. None of them had expected him to speak up about the gil, apparently. Money was something Cloud didn’t play around with. 

“I can help pay the gas costs, but I won’t be able to cover it alone.” Reeve said, his brow still creased. “I know the reward sounds deceptively good, but please consider the risks involved in joining something like this. I won’t tell you not to participate, but I would definitely advise you to not participate.”

“We’re all going to run.” Cloud said with finality. Red looked up at him, alarmed. “We’re gonna run, and we’re gonna get that gil.”

“Hey, Cloudy, don’t you think you’re being a little, uh,” Zack scratched at his dark spikes, eyeing the third set of sneakers Cloud had set in their cart. He apparently was adamant on buying everyone a pair of new joggers so they could start training before Sephiroth’s marathon. “Aren’t you jumping the gun a little?”

Cloud turned his fierce blue eyes on Zack, his lips firmly pressed down and eyebrows furrowed. It was a far cry from the usual, mild Cloud Zack was acquainted with. This Cloud looked intense.

“The marathon is starting in a few days, Zack. Everyone is going to be buying new sneakers. They’re going to be buying all new track stuff too.” With that, Cloud swept an armful of small, breathable running shorts into his cart, his gaze searching for other possible needs. Red, who had been dozing off in the cart, woke up as he was smothered in clothing, and peeked out curiously. Vincent, who had been sitting beside him, also looked up sleepily. “Bottles. We’ll need bottles to stay hydrated when the laps start wearing on us. Kid sized ones too…”

“Marlene and Denzel are running too?” Zack asked, as Cloud walked past him to look at the sweat wristbands. 

“You know, I think that General heard what we were saying and took it to heart,” Barret said, completely ignoring Zack’s comment. A satisfied smile pulled at his lips. “I think he’s doing this marathon for us. He’s hoping we win.”

“You know,” Tifa said, a basket full of fruits and vegetables on her arm. “I was thinking the same thing. I think we either said something, or General Sephiroth got a soft spot for Cloud. They have been around each other a while now.”

Cloud paused mid cart roll to give Tifa and Barret an incredulous look, one of his bangs falling into his face.

“He’s got an angle. Don’t know what it is, and I don’t really care, but five hundred thousand is five hundred thousand.”

With that said, Cloud continued his spree, his motions focused and sharp. Zack paused a second, his shoulders falling as he looked at Tifa, completely at a loss.

“He’s… He’s not usually so competitive. Should I be worried, or cheering him on?”

“I think it's the gil… He didn’t grow up with the most and so now with five hundred thousand gil right in front of him, I think he doesn’t want to miss out.” Tifa scratched her cheek, her warm brown eyes lowering. “At least I think so. I’m never sure what's exactly going on in that head of his.”

“Things are probably tight with Red and Vincent too. Kid thinks after he spends.” Barret said, a nostalgic look crossing his face. “Before Tifa and I had bought Seventh Heaven, and I was out of my job due to my injury- Cloud picked up a two more jobs just so Marlene and I could stay comfortably at his.”

“How did I not know that?” Zack asked aloud, before a loud shout echoed across the store.

“Cloud, Tifa, anybody! There's a monster!!! I need backup!!” It was Yuffie’s voice- the young Wutaian girl Cloud had just recently recruited. He was picking people off the street faster than Sephiroth was saving them, and that was saying a lot . 

Discarding his basket, Zack dashed towards the sound of her voice, his eyes searching until he nearly collided with the short girl. She was dressed almost entirely in a sleeveless, apricot coloured romper, a pair of puffed golden sleeves starting right below her shoulders. A long, furry tail twisted around her back, a massive shuriken clutched in her small hands.

“What's your name again-? Oh well it doesn’t matter if you’re here to help just don’t look in its-” Yuffie paused as Cloud, who had fully transformed, sent his cart flying towards the exit; Vincent stood up fully, his gun at the ready, and Red followed suit, his hackles raised. Cloud had pushed them with enough force to send his cart speeding towards the doorway, and the monster. Instantly, both Red and Vincent completely changed, their skin and eyes going grey and hard as their flesh transformed into stone. “Don’t look in its eyes! Why doesn’t anyone listen to me?!”

Cloud blinked for a moment, clearly at a loss before charging forward and meeting the whirring blade of a Sweeper. The machine swung its blades viciously, before a multitude of tiny slug rays whirred to life behind it. 

“So you’re the one Professor Hojo was upset about,” Angeal commented, fluttering down as a few infantrymen readied their weapons. “Did the Basilisk turn your friends over there to stone?”

Zack sucked in his breath and was about to lunge forward before Tifa, who had also transformed, grabbed his shoulder, and shook her head. 

“Stay hidden, that's your mentor, right?” Zack nodded excitedly, one of his spikes flopping forward. “You don’t want him to draw a connection between you and us.”

“You work for Shinra?!” Yuffie whisper-yelled, pointing one of her clenched fists towards him. When both Cloud and Angeal turned toward them, Tifa sighed. 

“All of you First Class talk more than you fight.” Cloud said, pulling away from the Sweeper to jump in front of the aisle that Zack, Tifa, and Yuffie were hiding in. He positioned his sword to point directly toward the new Shinra arrivals.

“You must have met Genesis, then,” Angeal laughed, rubbing a hand at his dark hair. Zack felt a laugh bubble forward from his own lips before catching himself. Angeal once again looked behind Cloud, his blue eyes searching. “Well, you don’t seem unreasonable, but Shinra does have a bounty on your head, Mister…?”

“Wolf. You can call me Wolf.”

Yuffie laughed obviously behind her hand, looking more mischievous than ever.

“Well, I’ve got a job to complet-” Before Angeal could finish, Yuffie launched herself through the air, her Shuriken spinning to bounce off the large, sheathed buster sword on Angeal’s back and return to her open hand. Zack watched Cloud blink, clearly taken aback.

“You can call me the east wind because I’m about to blow you over, SOLDIER man!” Yuffie announced before the Basilisk scuttled forward, finally tired of being ignored. Zack wasn’t sure where exactly it was going but he quickly averted his gaze. Yuffie apparently had too, as she continued to taunt. “You look too old to be out here anyway!”

“And you seem a little young,” Angeal responded coolly, his own practise sword drawn. Zack couldn’t believe that Angeal carried the buster sword on his back, but still chose to use the lame, military-grade sword Zack usually used. “You said you called yourself Wolf, right? In that case you should have no problem taking care of this thing, even if your eyes are closed, right?”

Zack heard Cloud swing his sword, but had no idea whether it actually connected or not. Considering the clatter of metal on concrete, Zack guessed he hadn’t. After a sharp bark, followed the tell-tale sounds of multiple slug rays guns being shot, a few shouts of some infantry men, and then silence.

“Call your weapons off! We can negotiate after the civilians are safe!” Cloud ordered before Yuffie exclaimed loudly.

“I’ve got it! I’ve got the Basilisk in my hands!”

Zack didn’t dare open his eyes now, afraid he might accidentally turn and catch sight of Yuffie’s recently caught prey. 

“Are you facing towards the exit, or away?” Angeal asked calmly, surely trying to gauge the current situation without his sight. Zack heard Cloud grunt roughly before the tell-tale sounds of a Sweeper whirred and clanged against some opposing metal. 

“I’m facing toward the, uhm- the left! Uh, wait, no I’m facing toward the exit and the Basilisk is above my head!” Yuffie responded, and Zack peeked open one hesitant eye to look around. From his spot behind a towering shelf of cereal, he couldn’t fully see Yuffie, Cloud, or Angeal. He could see their legs, as well as a few infantry men, but that was all. One thing he could definitely see was that Yuffie’s toes were pointing toward him. She wasn’t facing towards the exit, she was directly facing Angeal. “You’re safe, turn around.”

Before Zack could think to warn him, Angeal’s feet slowly turned to solid grey, indicating he had really had taken a chance on Yuffie. Zack’s mentor was turned completely to stone as were the surrounding infantry men.

“One First Class down and two to go! Woo hoo!” Yuffie cheered, prompting Zack to jump up and run forward. Thankfully, she was holding the Basilisk toward her own chest now so it couldn’t petrify any other unfortunate people. “You can open your eyes now, Cl- I mean Wolf!”

“What did you do?” Cloud asked, horrified as he finally slashed the Sweeper into two, panting. He casted a blizzaga on the remaining slug rays that had been shooting incessantly and landed beside her. Zack couldn't 't stay hidden in the aisle any longer- his feet carried him to where Angeal stood, completely made of hard, unbreakable stone.

“Angeal! Angeal!!” Zack cried, grabbing ahold of the statue’s broad shoulders. “How could you lie to him!? He’s literally the most honest, kind, understanding person ever! He would have just let you off if you’d have let him!”

Cloud blinked somewhat shamefully, a hand at his neck. 

“Well he wouldn’t treat us the same as he treats you, Zack. That's important to remember.” Tifa said, stepping forward. “But he might have been more lenient, Yuffie if we came to an understanding. You can’t just lie to people!”

“But he’s Shinra. And Shinra and SOLDIER are evil…” Yuffie glared at Zack briefly, her arms still tightly clutching the Basilisk. The monster seemed fairly docile being cuddled in her arms. It was no bigger than a small dog, and fairly safe if not for its petrifying gaze. “Imagine if we could use this on everyone! Our job would be so easy!”

Suddenly the automatic entrance doors slid open, revealing a very distracted Sephiroth who seemed more absorbed in what was occurring on his PHS screen than the surrounding area. After a second, his green gaze flickered upwards and he narrowed his eyes at one person in particular. Zack felt sweat drip down his back.

“Zack.” Sephiroth said, though it was hard to tell whether he was calling him forward, asking a question, or simply saying his name in acknowledgement. Zack always had a hard time understanding Sephiroth- Angeal had said he would catch up in time, but apparently five years wasn't enough time.

Yuffie made scarily fast eye contact with both Cloud and Tifa before both reached out, their reactions just a moment too slow. 

“Don’t-”

Yuffie had turned the Basilisk toward Sephiroth then, and staggered backwards. The silver SOLDIER glared at the monster for a moment, making scarily direct eye contact, and then took a menacing step forward.  Sephiroth was still completely flesh. Somehow, he was immune to petrification. In less then a second, the Silver General surged forward, grabbing a hold of Yuffie’s wrist roughly. The Basilisk fell to the ground, but Tifa was quick to cover it in a cardboard  box.

“You’re under arrest.” Sephiroth said calmly, reaching at his hip for handcuffs, only to grab at nothing. He was dressed in a turtleneck and slacks- he didn’t even have his legendary sword on hand. He suddenly turned to Cloud, pocketing his PHS calmly. “It's a pity I won’t have three statues to decorate my office with.”

Cloud’s eyes flashed at that, his mask creasing as irritation began to claw its way up his usually sweet face. Zack shared a fast, incredulous glance with Tifa before clearing his throat.

“When- when did you get so close with this, uh, this vigilante-”

“Are you not the one who is close, Zack? Seeing as you were fighting together before this... I believe I am the one deserving of a thorough explanation regarding your relationship.” Sephiroth briefly glanced at the Angeal statue, completely ignoring the fact Yuffie was stomping on his foot and shouting up a storm of curses, and then towards Tifa. “When did you create such an alliance?”

“I try to protect everyone. That guy isn’t special,” Cloud declared, moving to stand before Sephiroth. Even transformed, he looked a little small standing next to the General, like a chocobo standing next to a zolom. “Now, I’d appreciate it if you would unhand my friend so we can get on with this.”

“I remember agreeing to help you save the monsters; however, in the face of attempted assault I cannot be so understanding, Wolf.” Sephiroth replied coldly. Yuffie was currently doing a myriad of acrobatics to try and escape the General’s hold, to no avail. Zack had watched her practically climb the man and still fail. “She is returning to Shinra, and you will be as well if you try to stop me.”

“Taking her back to Shinra will be a lot more than just filing an assault report.” Cloud looked wearily at the box-covered Basilisk who was now slowly walking forward, and then back to Sephiroth. The blonde took a daring step forward before pulling his ears back and yawning. Zack had never thought about it before, but seeing him yawn made him realise that Cloud now had very sharp canines. “Let’s just call it an evening, and we can deal with the petrified victims instead. There’s a lot on your side.”

“Crime results in punishment. You should have thought before you tried to attack me.” Sephiroth said rotely, like it was something he had heard a million times. Zack grabbed a fifty percent off rake, and readied himself. He had never fought Sephiroth before, but he was as ready as he’d ever been. 

“Have it your way, then.” Cloud muttered, leaping in perfect sync with Tifa to strike at Sephiroth’s head. The General spun elegantly, kicking into the air and meeting Cloud’s blade and Tifa’s fist with the sole of his boot. With an enormous amount of strength, he kicked back, doubling their force and sending both of them flying backwards.

Zack blinked for a second before meeting Sephiroth’s eyes himself, his jaw only slightly open. 

“What do you think you’re doing? Take care of the woman. I’ll take care of Wolf.”

Cloud blinked painfully, digging himself out of the stack of canned food he had been tossed in. Even without his sword, Sephiroth was a pain in the ass to deal with. As if he was summoned by Cloud's harrowing thoughts, the man himself sauntered forward, Yuffie clinging to a single one of his legs to try and keep him from walking. Cloud might have appreciated her efforts if she had listened to him and Tifa in the first place. They had always been slightly uncoordinated, but it had only cost them now.

“You seem tired today, Wolf.” Sephiroth looked down on the blonde, smirking in a way that could only be seen as evil. Cloud narrowed his already half-lidded eyes. “Our little game of cat and mouse couldn’t last forever anyways.”

“You're causing more damage to this store than the basilisk did.” Cloud painfully pushed himself up, nearly slipping on one of the cans underfoot. Sephiroth seemed to have caught his misstep as the corner of his lips quirked upwards. “What's the point of your damn marathon if not to cover up your own destructive habits?”

“I didn’t cause any damage, I’m currently attempting to arrest the delinquents that did.” Sephiroth said, tilting his head to flick a long strand of hair out of his face. Cloud had no idea what had brought on the sadistic, asshole act, but he wanted to be as far away as possible. “At any rate, that was the president’s idea, he simply wanted me to be the one to speak about it on television.”

“You sick liar!” Yuffie shouted, struggling harder against his grip. Cloud had been in her position before and knew the pain. He only hated that he couldn’t do more to help her.

“I just arrived, how could I cause so much damage in so little time?” Sauntering forward, Sephiroth reached toward the blonde, probably intending to grab him too. Cloud whipped an icy blade out and pointed it toward his throat. Sephiroth smiled at that. “One of you will give me your identity, or both of you are coming with me to Shinra.”

“Sephiroth! Stop! What the hell are you doing?!” Zack shouted, nearly dashing into the General in his haste. Cloud wanted to sigh with relief seeing his friend, but he didn’t want to risk exposure. Instead he tensed up, baring his teeth. “Your job is to help people!”

Zack scratched his head, before grabbing Yuffie’s other arm and looking Sephiroth square in the face, frowning. 

“I don’t know who these guys are, but they saved quite a few people before you decided to show up- and before Angeal was turned to stone, they helped him too!” Zack sniffed, looking completely hurt, and Cloud actually believed him. He was a scarily convincing liar when he needed to be. The dark haired SOLDIER shook his head. “Let her go. You’ve got to have been spending way too much time with Genesis.”

“I…” Sephiroth actually did release Yuffie, who hissed like a cat before circling behind Cloud and gripping his shoulder. The blonde put his arm out defensively, his sword still pointed forward. The General appeared like he had a lot more that he wanted to say, but he didn’t say a word. He glanced at Cloud’s face, shock in his gaze before turning and moving away. “We’ll need golden needles. Golden needles are required to unpetrify those who are afflicted with stone.”

Zack stayed behind for a second giving Cloud a worried glance before catching up behind Sephiroth, nodding. 

“Yeah, that was exactly what I was thinking.”

Chapter Text

“The first step in getting ready for a long marathon is hot springs. Trust me.” Aerith said, a firm hand on her hip. She was dressed in the same white shirt and shorts Cloud and everyone else was wearing, but had firmly stayed inside the past hour to make lemonade and cookies. Her sneakers were still pink and white- barely a sign of any distress even visible. “Zack got free tickets with SOLDIER, and I just know it will be the perfect start to our exercise.”

“We’ve already started exercising,” Red said, trotting up to Cloud, panting. The blonde had already gotten a somewhat believable Shinra ID created for both Red and Vincent in order for them to participate in the marathon. In the case he didn’t win, Red had a very good chance at victory against a bunch of humans. So did Vincent. Having dumped so much money into this, Cloud needed somebody he knew to win.  

“We can go to the hot springs later. Building endurance is key right now.” Cloud said, wiping sweat off his forehead. When Aeirth handed him a glass of lemonade, he drank it one gulp. “You should be building endurance too.”

“These aren’t just any hot springs, Cloud,” Aerith said excitedly, grabbing ahold of his shoulder. The blonde sighed. He was on his fourth lap of running around Reeve’s safehouse, and he was starting to realise how much the Nibel wolf was affecting him. The only person who could keep up with him was Red. “They’re special Mideel-style hot springs, here in Midgar! They’re said to carry mako!”

“This is nothin’!” Cid said, jogging forward, his breath even. Aerith raised a disbelieving brow, pushing the cup she was originally holding out behind her, and out of Cid’s reach. “We don’t need steroids. Leave that to those damn SOLDIERS. We don’t need it.”

“Hot springs sound fine to me,” Barret grumbled, approaching Aerith, and flipping his shades off. Aerith sweetly pushed a cold glass into Barret’s waiting hands nodding. “Any edge is worth it for the five hundred.” 

“Mako will definitely allow us to reach further heights.” Vincent added, appearing behind Barret’s shoulder. He reached for a glass, but Aerith had only brought two. He pursed his lips. 

“I cast haste on Vincent, and it worked great! With materia and mako, we can do anything!” Yuffie cheered. “We might as well start talking about how we’re gonna divide the gil.”

Tifa came to a slow stop behind everyone, her eyes lowered. She rubbed at her arm a little sadly before looking up to  meet Cloud’s eyes. He understood what she was thinking about without having to hear her speak a word.

“I think it's only fair we put down at least 150k for Seventh Heaven. Barret and Tifa deserve to get their home back.” He said definitively, eyeing everyone. Vincent gave a sharp nod of his head, and Yuffie scratched the back of her neck sheepishly. 

“I mean, I’ve got to pay off my debt somehow.”

“Well, if that's settled then,” Cid said, stretching his arms above his head, and nearly smacking Vincent. “I say we go to these hot springs. Now that we’re all outta jobs, might as well spend our time investin’ in this race.”

Angeal had spent a large amount of his afternoon ensuring the second class SOLDIERS were minding their manners, and it was only now, in the later half of the day, that he was even able to think about hot springs. Shinra had bought private rooms for all of the first class, and while nice things often came from endorsement, he wasn't sure he wanted to be living in the same quarters as Sephiroth and Genesis. Not at the same time, at least. They had been banding together far more often than they usually did, considering Genesis’s jealousy and Sephiroth's tendency to overlook anything that wasn't mission related. 

One possibility was stress. Sephiroth had been doing a lot of overtime lately, even with his hours completed.  Angeal sighed, running a hand through his hair. As first class, they were only required to do public service for 25  hours a month. Sephiroth never did overtime in the field, nor did he ever take a day off. The past two weeks he had taken two days off, plus done a whopping 40 hours in field time. Maybe it was sheer exhaustion that was making him act out. Angeal knew how much a bad sleep schedule could mess someone up; he lived with Genesis after all.

“Zack,” Angeal called, undoing the suspenders of his SOLDIER uniform. As the only first who wasn't acting as an active General, or lieutenant- he had a lot more time to actually spend one on one with many lower ranking SOLDIERs. It was probably his favourite aspect of being first class. That wasn’t to say he didn’t enjoy spending time with his fellow firsts- it just seemed like both Sephiroth and Genesis had grown distant over the past few months. Like they both had things they weren’t too keen on sharing with Angeal. “Do you think Sephiroth's been acting… different?”

Zack whipped out of their shared bathroom, a towel just barely tied around his waist, and his hair poorly tied. Angeal gave him a bemused smile.

”Yesterday, when you were turned to stone he was going insane!” Zack burst out, blinking enough to make Angeal wonder if he was trying to communicate a hidden message. It was very much like Zack to try something like that. “Sephiroth used the law to threaten that-that blonde guy! Rule-following Sephiroth did! Can you believe that?”

“That isn't all, either, Angeal.” Genesis chirped, stepping around their folding door. He had already gotten into the hot springs, but apparently, this conversation was far more important than the skin he had been so worried about earlier. With his hand cupped around his mouth discreetly, he leaned forward just enough to feign secrecy. The fact was, even if he was acting secretive, he was still speaking at a normal volume. “You know how Sephiroth usually marks up our reports. The other day I actually received a check mark from him. No insulting feedback, no belittling advice. Nothing . I actually shed a tear.”

 “No way,” Zack said, his mouth nearly falling open. “There's no way.”

Genesis placed a hand on his heart before staring straight into Zack's eyes.

 “I swear it on the Goddess.”

“Okay, so where is Sephiroth now? I think I should talk to him.” Angeal stated, feeling a tad worried. It seemed like Sephiroth had been acting consistently odd, and he had just failed to notice it. That made him a terrible friend, didn’t it?

“After I helpfully tied his hair- he really needs a trim, you should tell him that, Angeal dear,” Genesis said as Zack wrinkled his nose. The red haired man smirked a bit. “Anyways, after that, he must have gone in the bath. Are you going to talk to him now ?”

 “Its now or never,” Angeal shrugged, walking past his friend to embrace the steam of the hot spring. He distinctly caught Zack and Genesis making faces at each other as he passed, but brushed it off. “Sephiroth? You out here?”

The steam suddenly parted, revealing a very lonesome Sephiroth, his hair tied in some flamboyant, braided style only Genesis could think of doing. He seemed a little sleepy, or maybe it was the fact he was mostly submerged in the bath… Angeal couldn't help but notice he looked a little small, a little overlooked. It was very far from how he usually appeared.

“Angeal.” He greeted in turn, his chin dipping beneath the surface of the water. Angeal waited a moment to see if he was going to say anything else- maybe about the recent conversation he must have overheard, and sat down, dipping his own feet into the hot water.

“So how've you been doing lately, Seph? You've been working pretty hard recently with all the overtime.”

“Unfortunately, with Shinra acknowledging the appearance of those vigilantes they also have to acknowledge there is someone else out there with access to high level technology as well as a significant quantity of mako.” Sephiroth sighed, and Angeal could see him cross his legs underneath the surface of the water, just as he would do at his desk back at Shinra. They needed to have more outings together. “SOLDIER is expected to deal with it so yes. Overtime is to be expected. I expect similar dedication from both you and Genesis- ”

Genesis groaned audibly, slinking into the pool beside Sephiroth, a slightly mischievous glint in his light eyes. Angeal had long grown accustomed to his partner's antics, but Sephiroth still seemed ignorant of some of his cues. Before he managed to reach Sephiroth, Zack, who had been squatting at the pool’s edge, grabbed ahold of his shoulder and gave him an angry look. The red head rolled his eyes.

“So, about last night,” Angeal said delicately, his focus now on the rippling water of the bath. When he got the chance to relax, he was going to prop his feet up on this stone and take a nap. He had earned that much. “The report includes you saying some things you- you wouldn’t usually say.”

Zack coughed, dropping Genesis’s shoulder and making incredulous eye contact with Angeal.

“‘Wouldn’t normally say’?” Zack repeated, shaking his head. “He was outright planning to arrest an innocent guy!”

“It is important to acknowledge the fact that Shinra does want Wolf and all of his compatriots contained and questioned.” Angeal said, crossing his arms. “And, having been turned to stone, I think it's reasonable to say saving Midgar is not their only goal.”

“We must also acknowledge the fact they saved many civilians’ lives as well though, correct?” Genesis asked, propping his elbow up on a stone to bat his eyelashes toward Angeal. 

“Yeah!” Zack exclaimed enthusiastically. Angeal wasn’t sure why Zack seemed so intent on defending a bunch of people he hadn’t met. It wasn’t like him to jump conclusions. While he was a simple thinker, Zack was thoughtful and fair. To wholly defend the group of vigilantes based on one situation was fairly out of character for him. That was unless he knew something about that them that Angeal didn't.

“I will admit I acted incorrectly. It… it was unlike me to say in the least.” Angeal noticed guilt flash across his face, his usual seeking eyes lowered in shame. Sephiroth was rarely shameful. But it was also a fact that Sephiroth rarely acted incorrectly- at least according to Shinra protocol. “ I unfortunately do not have enough experience examining my incorrect actions to make a probable speculation as to what it may have stemmed from.”

Zack blinked a few times like Sephiroth’s words had flown right over his head before sighing, his shoulders falling.

“Sephiroth, I’ve been meaning to ask you,” Genesis began, edging ever closer to the General. Sephiroth looked over his shoulder slowly, like he was just noticing Genesis was beside him. ”Some of the dialogue Zackary included in the report makes it sound as if you encountered ‘Wolf’ before. He was never mentioned in any reports before this, which would make it impossible- unless of course you were purposefully exempting him for some reason.”

Angeal had seen the obvious signs of familiarity in the dialogue Zack had recorded in the report, and with Sephiorth doing so much overtime in the field, it would be easy for him to hide his relationship with the vigilantes should he choose to. When Sephiroth went out for field work, he didn’t need to take a squadron, much less anyone else; he was perfectly capable of dispatching the monster and writing a follow-up report himself. That gave him full opportunity to change any details as well. 

Sephiroth opened his mouth, looking very ready to speak, but Zack burst out before him. While he had been pointing fingers at Sephiroth before, he seemed completely ready to defend him if it was needed. 

“Sephiroth has a reputation! He wouldn’t forge any reports!” Zack said assuredly, his eyes gleaming. That was either a lot of faith, or a lot of fake. Angeal wasn’t sure which yet, but he knew Zack was definitely playing at something. “Why would you even jump to a conclusion like that?”

 “My friend, the fates are cruel, no honour remains-” Zack glared harshly as Genesis began reciting Loveless but, the red-head only smirked in return. If there was one thing Genesis loved, it was getting a rise out of people. “I simply mean I’ve done no jumping Zackary. Your report speaks for itself.”

“ My report?!” As the words left Zack’s mouth, a dawning realization grew on his face, as shocking as it was guilty. He rubbed a hand at his damp spikes regretfully. “Ah crap, he did say…”

“Okay, okay let Sephiroth answer for himself.” Angeal interrupted, his gaze going towards Sephiroth. He had known Sephiroth long before he was a General, hell he had met him when they were in infantry together. If there was one thing Angeal was certain of, it was that Sephiroth had a good head on his shoulders. Even if the General had been hiding things, it had to be for a good reason. 

“I have met Wolf a few times prior to the report written last night. “ Sephiroth admitted, his eyes on the wavering reflection of his pale feet. It was very unlike him to avoid eye contact. Usually he demanded it with his scintillating eyes alone. “The report was not unintentional in its failure to include Wolf. The exemption only occurred due to the fact I- I was unable to- well...There was difficulty in providing a true, correct account of the events that occurred due to the fact-” 

Sephiroth paused for a moment, his eyes suddenly examining each of their faces, his brow furrowed as if he was at a loss of what to say and shut his mouth, his lips thinning. Angeal nodded, attempting to understand and encourage him to continue, but Sephiroth didn’t seem very receptive. Suddenly, he hoisted himself onto the stone behind him with a wet slap, still maintaining eye contact with Angeal. 

“I sincerely wrote those reports with the intention to be as honest as wasn’t rightly possible in the pursuit of truth.” Without wasting another second, Sephiroth launched himself to his feet and scrambled inside, leaving Angeal, Genesis, and Zack staring after his naked, running form; his towel nearly slipping in his rush.

“What the hell-” Zack started before Angeal caught sight of Sephiroth slipping on a stone and nearly falling forward before catching himself and running with renewed haste. At that, Zack spit before covering his mouth with his hand, trying to stifle his own laughter. “Did he just run away from us?”

“What does it look like, puppy ?” Genesis chuckled, making no attempt to hide his amusement. Angeal sighed.

“What happens in the hot springs stays here,” Angeal said, rising with a sigh. He gave Genesis a sharp look before crossing his arms. “Looks like Sephiroth does have something to hide…”

Cloud smiled. He had been exhausted since he had taken on the burden of saving Midgar, and things had looked pretty rough for a while. But going on a free trip to the hot springs was like a testament to their new beginnings. They would win this race, they would get the gil they needed, and best of all: Cloud would be able to wipe his hands of Shinra and the first class. Today was the start of all of that; it was going to be peaceful and therapeutic, and it wasn’t going to cost any gil. It was truly a guilt free vacation he couldn’t be more thankful for. 

They were currently standing outside the entrance to the establishment as Cid finished a quick phone-call with Shera. She was currently researching outside of Midgar for some sort of low-cost efficient fuel; it turned out mako was great for running a society, but not the best thing for rocket-fuel. She had called, excited to tell him an update on her progress.

“Tifa and all the girls better get here before the evening. That's the best time to be in the hot springs,” Barret said, absentmindedly patting Red’s back. Red preened a little, his ears going back. He was currently wearing a small harness with a Shinra-service label on it. Pretending he was a service animal had been the only way to get him entry.

“What's Mideel food like?” Denzel asked, happily clinging to Cloud’s hand. He was rocking on both his feet, his excitement evident. Cloud felt nearly as excited, though he didn’t want to admit it. They had hot springs back in Nibelheim too. The last time Cloud had been in one was when his mother had been alive.

“There’s a special sort of eyeless fish that evolved to swim around the mako pools there,” Vincent said humorlessly. When Denzel looked at him horrified, he cleared his throat. “I heard it tastes very good fried.”

“I heard bout’ that thing,” Cid said, suddenly leaning on Cloud’s shoulder. “Heard it's poisonous if it ain’t cooked properly.”

Denzel wrinkled his nose, his eyes wide.

“Are we ready to head in now?” Cloud asked, opening the straw-made door gently. Before a second had passed, someone- Cloud didn’t even have the chance to see who- charged into him, knocking him straight onto his back and onto the floor. The blonde briefly heard Cid and Barret cursing, but his head only cleared a few seconds after the collision. 

A very shirtless, wet Sephiroth was leaning over him, his hair dripping onto his face, and his arms nearly trapping him. Cloud had never noticed how defined his arms were, or even how sculpted his chest was. He had only noticed Sephiroth’s assets now that he and his two-hundred pound body had come flying at him from across the building. Cloud didn’t dare even think about how entangled their legs were. How did someone even get as long as Sephiroth was?

He smelled cloyingly strong, a little like mineral water, but mostly like his usually overly intense cologne. Cloud didn’t think he would ever be able to get the sandalwood out of his nose now with Sephiroth having literally been pressed against him. This was the one time the Nibel Wolf had failed him.

Sephiroth looked down at him for a moment, his usually narrowed eyes wide in a way that made him appear innocent and naive- like he had no idea what had occurred to have gotten him in this situation. He lifted himself up, to stare down at Cloud, still refusing to fully remove himself.

What a great start to his ‘therapeutic’ vacation. 

“Get off.” Cloud demanded, trying to keep himself from being too irritated. He was here to have a good time. He was not here to get angry, or to cause any potential problems that could get him arrested later on. He breathed harshly through his nose for a second before Sephiroth got off him, still appearing a little lost. 

“I…” Sephiroth looked over to Cid, and Barret who looked equal parts shocked and confused before clearing his throat. There was a very obvious red on his usually starkly white skin, possibly a flush from the bath, or maybe the embarrassment any normal naked idiot would have running into someone. “I apologize, I… I did not expect to see you here, Cloud.” 

“Were you expecting to knock over some other innocent person?” Cloud asked before covering his face with his hand. That was right, he was not going to get into it with Sephiroth today. He took a few breaths before shaking his head and grabbing ahold of Denzel’s hand again. Thank the gods Sephiroth hadn’t run into him and squashed him flat. “Forget it, let's head to the baths.”

Chapter Text

The bath had been everything Cloud had needed. He had just stepped into the water for a second before situating himself on a smooth stone and falling dead asleep for the next two hours. It was only when Yuffie cannon-balled into the pool and splashed the whole far side that he woke up. Both he and Red, who had curled up next to him sometime during his nap, were drenched thoroughly, salty mako water dripping down their faces and hair.

“Yuffie, you woke Cloud up!” Aerith laughed, kicking her feet as she settled in the pool, completely unaffected by the splash. Tifa was easing into the water beside her, her hair done in an updo that framed her face prettily. 

“Look how red his face is! I’m saving his life!” Yuffie replied, swimming around like she was in a pool. Tifa giggled at that.

“You didn’t save Red’s life,” Cloud murmured, standing and moving to get ahold of some dry towels. He thought about shaking his hair out and getting water over Yuffie, but decided he was too old to be acting that way and instead peeked inside their room. “Do we have plans for dinner?”

“Sure do,” Cid said from across the room. He was still completely naked, aside from the towel around his waist, and was sitting across from Barret, an array of cards in his hand. Denzel was hovering over Barret’s shoulder, his lip between his teeth. “They’re servin’ dinner here, but we gotta’ eat in some other room. They don’t allow meals in the private rooms.”

“You should put that one down.” Denzel said, pointing at Barret’s hand before shaking his head and plopping down beside him. “Wait, actually, maybe you should put this one down?”

“This isn’t gonna end up well, is it?” Barret muttered, looking over at Denzel with worry in his dark eyes. He looked around the room before whispering loudly. “We got to find someone that does know how to play cards.”

Cloud threw on his clothes before yawning and nearing the door.

“I’m gonna grab a coffee from the vending machine. You guys want anything?”

Vincent fluttered down from where he was perched on one of the wooden beams, landing before Cloud.

“Marlene and Denzel  made this list for me.” When Vincent gave Cloud the paper the blonde felt his eye twitch before his eyebrows shot up. The handwriting was barely legible, but more importantly the items on the list such as ‘PHS’ and ‘big car’ were expensive. 

“Did you… write this?” Cloud asked without thinking. When Vincent shook his head he rubbed a hand down his face. “I’m gonna get you a coffee too. You can think about getting a job… Like the rest of us.”

Cloud left the older man with a bemused expression, and made his way to the nearest vending machine, his gil clinking heavily in his pocket. There wasn’t anyone else around which gave him a good chance to deliberate. The canned coffee was thirty gil which meant six cans was one hundred and eighty. If he was planning to buy Malboro pop for Yuffie and the kids, the total would go to two hundred fifty… That wasn’t including the milk he would buy for Red. If his math was correct, which he was about one hundred percent sure it wasn't, he was about to spend three hundred gil on drinks alone. 

“Hey Spiky, thinking real hard about the drinks, aren’t ya?” Zack said very seriously as he came to stand beside him. Cloud didn’t make any motion to acknowledge him and instead brought his hand to his chin, very contemplative. Zack followed his eyes back to the glass. “There's only two coffees in there, Cloud. Angeal had the caramel one earlier, he said it's pretty good.”

  “I’m trying to figure out…” Cloud chewed his lip, furrowing his brow. He was still feeling very warm from the bath- which was definitely another reason he should purchase a cold drink. On the other hand, if he spent three hundred on drinks now, he would have to do the same before dinner, and in the morning. There was no way he was driving in the morning without a coffee, it just wasn’t safe. That would amount to nine hundred gil though- a completely insane amount of money to just spend on drinks. 

“Cloud? Gaia to Cloud Strife. Do you copy? Do you-?” Zack waved his hand in front of his face, watching closely as Cloud didn’t so much as bat an eyelash. Suddenly, without warning, Zack jabbed him in the side. Not in a painful sort of way, but in a way that made Cloud flinch and jump back gripping his sides like a little kid. 

“What the hell, Zack? I’m trying to sort out my drink plan-”

“Are you ticklish?” Zack asked suddenly, looking at Cloud like he was a complete stranger. The blonde rolled his eyes, shaking his head; he didn’t remove his hands from his sides.

“I’m sensitive. Not that it matters.” Cloud took a hesitant step back toward the vending machine and Zack, but decided to maintain his distance otherwise. “If I jabbed you out of nowhere, you’d jump back too.”

“No, buuut,” Zack crossed his arms, a mischievous grin crawling up his face. Cloud glowered at him. “Aerith, who isn’t ticklish, never grabs her sides like that, but I, who am ticklish, do the exact same thing.”

Cloud blinked very slowly, not trusting Zack to move out of his sight again. Not after the topic they had somehow gotten to. 

“You know, I can’t remember the last time I saw you laugh,” Zack said, inching closer, his nose slightly scrunched up. Cloud stuck a terrified arm out, daring to keep his friend at bay. 

“I laugh all the time. I’d laugh if my friend wasn’t trying to… to attack me,” Cloud blinked, wondering if his words had any affect on Zack and stiffened when he saw him continue to approach. “This ends two ways, Zack.”

“Sure does,” His friend replied, laughing already. “Either I get to see you laugh.”

“Or you live long enough to see this friendship end-” Cloud didn't get to finish his sentence as Zack lunged forward, his hands at the ready and SOLDIER training clearly somewhat efficient. It couldn’t compare to the Nibel Wolf, however. 

Cloud rolled to the side, barely dodging out Zack’s reach and felt his back hit against the damned vending machine. He had rolled in the wrong direction. Before Cloud even had a chance to look up, Zack’s hands were all over his torso, his fingers just brushing the skin. Cloud heard his own laughter, his hands moving to block Zack and to protect himself only to hear him start laughing too. Anytime Zack heard someone else laugh, he was almost sure to join them. 

“Za-Zack!” Cloud managed in between laughter, trying to kick his friend away. That only increased Zack’s efforts as Cloud twisted around to somehow protect his exposed self.

Before either could get hysterical, someone cleared their throat behind them, sounding less than pleased. Zack quickly moved to stand, coughing as he scratched the back of his neck in a somewhat sheepish manner. Cloud stood up too, his hands protectively around his waist and deadpan back in full force. He was going to kill Zack for tickling him in public, and in front of an audience. Better yet, he was going to tell Aerith. She deserved to know.

“I wanted something from the vending machine,” Sephiroth- of course it had to be Sephiroth-  said coldly, glaring at Zack with something that looked close to disgust in his usual apathetic eyes. He was acting very different from when Cloud had seen him previously- when they had collided with one another, that was. Sephiroth had seemed softer then, Cloud wasn’t sure how to put it. Now he seemed like his usual self, but pissed as hell. “Excuse me.”

Sephiroth briefly glanced at Cloud, his eyes lingering on his face and sweeping downwards, but never meeting his eyes. Cloud didn’t blame him. He would probably never have the courage to meet anyone’s eyes after Zack’s idiocy. 

“Oh yeah, no problem,” Zack responded easily, slinging an arm over Cloud’s shoulder. The blonde glared, moving away just enough to let Zack’s arm fall down. Never again.

“So I don’t mean to be startin’ anything’ or nothin’, but I swear that damned General’s been followin’ us ever since he set eyes on Cloud.” Cid said. He had moved outside with a full hand of cards and was currently laying on a tanning chair, Barret’s sunglasses on his nose. 

“What do you mean?” Aerith asked, swimming over to prop herself up on a stone. “It's only natural that they’d meet more often because of the work they do in Midgar.”

“They bumped into each other here. Forget the work, Cid’s right!” Barret agreed, moving to sit in front of the door. He was still holding his cards too, though he didn’t seem to be thinking all too hard about them anymore. “Sephiroth came running out of nowhere and straight into Cloud this morning. You would have thought there was a monster on his tail or something.”

“You know what yer gonna play yet?” Cid asked, though Barret clearly showed no interest in continuing that conversation.

“Well, Aerith did get these tickets from Zack,” Tifa said, mirth in her eyes. She laughed a little before playing with a strand of loose hair. “If Zack is coming, there's a good chance the rest of SOLDIER got the same opportunity.”

“It wasn’t a normal sort of collision though,” Red suddenly said, emerging from their rooms mysteriously. Tifa didn’t know when he had even left the pool, but his fur was drying in a fluffy, cute sort of way so she assumed he must have been out for some time. “They remained on the floor for a good minute. For a second I even worried something regarding Cloud’s double identity had come to light.”

“It was really weird!” Denzel seconded, running to join the conversation. He took a quick glance at his options, and then decided to plop down beside Red, his hand going to his fur like a magnet. “General Sephiroth came running straight from the bath, naked and everything! And then he just knocked Cloud over and both of their faces were red, which makes sense since he came from the bath. But Cloud, I think he hit his head pretty hard on the ground!”

Yuffie back paddled toward the front of the bath, a questioning expression on her face. 

“You know, I don’t know any of you guys that well, but that sounds really…” Yuffie turned around, glancing at Tifa for a second before licking her lips and staring straight ahead. “I mean, if he’s lived with Tifa for a few years and hasn’t tried to marry her it could only mean-”

The door to their room was thrown open with enough force to make everyone turn suddenly and watch Cloud stomp through their room, a bag of drinks on his arm. 

“Aerith, you need to control your boyfriend.” Cloud said sternly, Zack tugging on the back of his shirt like a sad puppy. 

“Cloud, I said I was sorry! I didn’t expect him to show up. He never uses the vending machines at Shinra!” Zack pleaded, before catching sight of everyone and popping back to his usual cheerful demeanor. Remorse was difficult for him to maintain. “Hey guys! Aerith!”

Aerith gave a secretive glance to Tifa- to which both giggled and then crossed her legs, pretending to be business-like. 

“What happened, Cloud? Your face is so red!” Aerith said observantly, though there was a telling look in her eyes, like she already knew what had happened. 

“He-” Cloud paused before dropping his head, like he couldn’t get the words out of his mouth, and then straightened. He turned to look at them, his blue eyes cloudy like he had recently been tortured. “He tickled me.”

Yuffie and Cid snorted simultaneously, which Cloud did not pay attention to, aggrieved as he was. 

“Did he?” Aerith said, a hand covering the bottom half of her face as she tried to keep from laughing herself. Cloud looked like a little dejected chocobo chick, not that she would ever tell him that. “He tries to tickle me all the time too, even though he knows I’m not ticklish!”

Tifa laughed behind her hand at that, even as Cloud glanced at her looking betrayed. 

“See, Cloud? It wasn’t personal, it was just for good fun!” Zack nodded, adoration in his eyes as he gave Aerith a thankful smile. She winked playfully. 

“It was in public ,” Cloud said, looking between them incredulously.  

“Was someone there?” Tifa asked, looking at Cloud sympathetically. 

Cloud turned to her, his eyes ice cold.

“Sephiroth was.”

The laughter completely stopped after that. Yuffie, who had been swimming backstroke flipped over and suddenly started coughing and Red, who had been quietly listening, lowered his head covering his face with his paws. It was only Vincent who fluttered down from the rafters, that put his hand on Cloud’s shoulder.

“That is mortifying.”

The dining area consisted of three rows of long tables, all low and decorated by a myriad of dishes Cloud couldn’t hope to name. Floral cushions sat on each side of the table, a plate and matching cutlery across from each setting. Cloud took the furthest seat, Denzel plopping down on the cushion beside him, and Red sitting down at the head of the table. While there wasn’t exactly a place setting there, Red didn’t exactly need, or seem to want one for that matter. Zack sat down beside Denzel and everyone else found seats around the table. 

Seeing as it was sort of a communal dining area, Cloud could only hope to eat and be out as soon as possible but, with how many dishes there were and how empty his bachelor’s lifestyle left him, it probably wasn’t all that possible.  A very live, non-petrified Angeal walked through the door then, a group of SOLDIERs behind him and Cloud just dipped his head, sort of shameful.  Of course the SOLDIERs would begin to trickle in as soon as he thought about it. 

“Angeal! Come sit here! We’ve got seats!” Zack called, waving Angeal to the three open cushions opposite of Cloud, Denzel, and himself. Cloud made an urgent face at Zack, which he didn’t catch at all, and then stared at his feet as Angeal actually walked over. 

“Zack, of course you made it here first,” Angeal laughed a little at that before looking at the table arrangements and shooting a glance at Cloud. The blonde pretended like he was picking up a fallen napkin. “Are you sure your friends wouldn’t mind if I sat? I’m a little bit of a three-man package with Genesis and Sephiroth.”

“Oh yeah, it’ll be fine.” Zack agreed, and when he realised Angeal wasn’t looking for his affirmation, he slapped Cloud’s shoulder, forcing him to join the conversation. “Right, Cloudy?”

Social pressure. It was something Cloud had hoped to outgrow. He had become more secure in himself when he had gotten older, and Wolf only made him feel stronger… But that didn’t make him immune. With Zack’s hopes on him and Angeal’s eyes… Gods, Cloud had felt bad seeing the man turning to stone, now he was asking something of him. Tonight was going to be terrible. 

“Oh, yeah. No problem.” Cloud muttered, his eyes meeting Angeal’s for less than a second before going back over the dishes. After being friends for years Zack still didn’t understand how much Cloud struggled. He never would. 

Angeal took the centre cushion, which meant either Genesis or Sephiroth would be sitting directly in front of Cloud. He wasn’t sure which was worse. Sephiroth would stare him to death, and Genesis would probably try to knife him under the table. Would it be suspicious if he asked to go to the bathroom right after sitting?

“Cloud? Is it okay if we start eating now?” Denzel asked, tugging on the wide sleeve of the robes they had been provided with. It was apparently a traditional outfit one put on after bathing in the hotspring. They were loose-fitting and light- contrary to the spring itself and allowed the wearer to cool. Cloud liked the soft, easy-fitting material. He could sleep in the white and blue checkered robe he had gotten, but that didn't say much as he could practically sleep in anything. “Didn’t you say you were really hungry?”

Cloud looked up, accidentally caught sight of Sephiroth walking in and nodded, picking up Denzel’s plate. He wasn’t ready to have dinner with the first class. It was already awkward being almost arrested, insulted, and then being physically run into. Now Sephiroth had seen him getting tickled. Cloud wasn’t sure he could take much more. 

“What do you want?” The blonde asked, picking up a few bright, roasted vegetables with his chopsticks. They smelled like garlic and something slightly sweet. It made his stomach grumble. When he caught sight of Sephiroth sitting in front of him in his peripheral, he took a deep breath and added a few sauteed shrimp to his plate before setting it back down. Denzel blinked, looking a little shocked. “Start with that.”

“Uh, okay,” Denzel nodded.  He was far past the age to serve himself, and Cloud wasn’t sure what had made him grab that plate, but the sooner he filled his own, the sooner he would be excused from any conversation whatsoever. 

For a second, he simply stared at his empty plate and then reached for his cup, feeling very thirsty. When he looked only slightly upwards, he felt Sephiroth’s eyes on him and gave a very small, fake smile.  

“Hey. Didn’t see you come in.” It was the biggest lie, but Cloud had now put down his glass and was shovelling some chicken-veggie stir fry into Red’s plate, like a maniac, hoping Sephiroth would say something generic and let the conversation die. 

“Hello, Cloud,” Sephiroth responded, bowing his head a little, a silver lock of hair slipping off his ear. Now that Cloud looked at him, he realised he was wearing a traditional robe too, only his was black coloured with curving lines of silver threaded through. It was also not properly fastened, but Sephiroth seemed to wear all of his clothes that way… Cloud didn't let his eyes wander, and instead made painfully direct eye contact. His hair was done too, though it was hard to tell what exactly was going where. There were plenty of swoops all connecting back to what looked like a hairpin. Cloud quickly set his focus back on filling his plate with everything in sight. 

Conversation was in plenty all across the room. The other tables had filled with SOLDIERS and other guests quickly enough, and the hotel staff were working their asses off to keep the cups filled and the hot food served. Even Genesis looked happy seated next to Angeal, though on his other side was a very peeved looking Cid. 

“So it's not every damn day I’m seated next to a first class, huh?” The pilot asked, tearing a large chunk of pineapple off his skewer. Tifa covered her face with her hand and Cloud almost felt himself sigh alongside her. “So let's talk, how bout’ that?”

“We’re here to help,” Angeal responded kindly, reaching over Genesis to pour Cid a shot of whatever bottle they had previously ordered. “Give us your hardest.”

“So I’m sure yer all aware of the conspiracies that Shinra’s picked up for herself-”

“Conspiracies?” Genesis echoed, putting a hand over his mouth to laugh haughtily. Cid’s eyebrows lowered at an incredibly dangerous speed. “To believe in conspiracies… You live under the plate, don’t you?”

“What's wrong with living under the plate?” Barret asked, slamming his fist on the table, anger simmering in his dark eyes. Genesis smirked, even as Angeal hastily did damage control.

“There is nothing wrong with living under the plate-”

“Cloud,” Red whispered, pulling at the edge of his sleeve lightly. The blonde immediately turned his attention to his feline friend. It was hard enough pretending to be a normal person, but Red had to pretend he couldn’t speak while in front of the first class. Cloud needed to get onto Zack. “I wanted to try the soup.”

Without any question, Cloud took his own unused bowl and filled it to the top with the spicy smelling soup. Aerith had asked about it earlier and been told its main ingredients were chicken, lime juice, and coconut milk. Cloud would probably get a bowl or two after Red was finished. 

“If you need anything else, don’t hesitate,” Cloud said, discreetly placing the bowl in front of the cat. Red nodded before he lapped up the meal, unbridled joy clear on his face. 

“Did you say something?” Sephiroth asked suddenly, drawing Cloud’s attention toward him again. He had paused mid bite, his head tilted ever so slightly. 

“Oh, no, I-'' Cloud attempted to gesture with his chopsticks as he attempted to explain himself, but only managed to accidentally fling an onion across the table and right near the base of Sephiroth’s cup. When Cloud glanced up, hoping Sephiroth hadn’t seen his mistake, he saw the General staring at the onion like it was a sin. For the first time that night, he swore Sephiroth was staring at something that wasn't him, and for once he wished he was. That was better than that damn onion. “Just, uh, talking to myself.”

Sephiroth nodded, his gaze still on the tossed onion, and Cloud bit his lip hard in order to keep from spitting out his dinner. 

“Listen, I was hoping to discuss something with you, Cloud.” Sephiroth started before Zack shoved a large platter their way. 

“You guys have got to try this curried lobster. It's amazing!” Zack said, in between chewing. Cloud didn't need to be asked twice. Without another thought, he reached his chopsticks forward, determined to at least get two or three pieces so Denzel and Red could try it too, and nearly froze when his chopsticks hit Sephiroth's. They both looked up to stare at each other. Zack on the other hand, hadn't seen what had occurred and grinned. “You guys get some?”

Before Cloud could protest, Sephiroth piled a few pieces of lobster on his plate, and moved even faster filling his own plate before nodding.

“Yes, thank you, Zack.”

“Yeah,” Cloud glanced at Sephiroth sheepishly before moving a few pieces onto Denzel's and Red's plate. “Thanks.”

They both spent a moment in silence, only the chatter of their surrounding friends present. Cloud thought that maybe Sephiroth had been about to start small talk, or worse try and press him about being Wolf, but he miraculously didn't. He cleared his throat and looked at Cloud from under long eyelashes- almost like he was slightly nervous. 

“Cloud, I'd like to properly apologize for earlier. It was- my actions were highly irresponsible.” Sephiroth said, his expression cold, but his words surprisingly sincere. Cloud actually raised his eyebrows, taken aback. He hadn’t expected to even receive a ‘proper apology’ from the General.

“I mean, yeah. When you weigh that much you can't exactly go throwing yourself at people.” Cloud said, his words spilling out of his mouth before he could think them through. Instead of rising to defend himself, Sephiroth lowered his head, a familiar bit of red colouring his cheeks. Good. He deserved to be the embarrassed, apologetic one for once. 

“You weren't injured were you?” Sephiroth asked, eyeing him as if he would be able to tell by sight alone. Cloud shook his head. He wasn't sure if it was because of the Nibel Wolf or what, but it hadn't hurt when Sephiroth had run into him. It had been shocking for sure, but it didn't compare to being tossed in a tree or shot. Was he becoming numb to pain? “Not that you would allow me to pay for your hospital visit, seeing as you're prone to running away.”

 “I'm fine.” Cloud reiterated when Sephiroth raised a disbelieving brow. “What were you running from anyway?”

Sephiroth paused, clearing his throat, before placing his chopsticks down, perfectly parallel to his plate and wiping his already clean face with a napkin. 

“There was a certain…” Sephiroth paused, examining his face for a second before sighing, his shoulders sinking a little. “There was a specific conversation I wasn't keen on continuing.”

“So you hightailed it out of there?” Cloud asked, unable to stop the soft laugh that escaped him. Apparently even the great and mighty Sephiroth struggled sometimes, and with conversation too. Cloud didn't think he would ever second Shinra's General on something, but he was all for running around potential conversations he didn't want to have. That sounded like a great solution. He wasn’t sure how much Sephiroth liked it when Wolf just ran, but it always ended well in Cloud’s book. “Smart.”

Sephiroth was completely still when Cloud looked back towards him, his lips slightly parted as if he had been about to speak, but then chose not to. They blinked at each other a few times before Sephiroth cleared his throat, finally responding.

“Yes, well it unfortunately was the cause of our collision which was an obvious outcome in hindsight.” After another brief pause, he folded his hands together. “I'm… glad you're alright.”

“Me too,” Cloud nodded before a loud exclamation sounded at the opposite end of the table. Both Cloud and Sephiroth turned their attention toward the sound.

Genesis was chewing something smugly before he proceeded to lick his lips and smirk, glaring directly at a very pissed looking Marlene. She wasn't on the verge of tears, but she definitely looked angry.

“That's not nice! My daddy says you should share!” Marlene pointed with her chopsticks towards the now-empty platter of whatever she had wanted. “When I was reaching for the last one, you shouldn't have snatched it from me.”

“Have you ever wondered why you and your daddy have never enjoyed the luxuries a selfish life can get you?” Genesis asked, watching in satisfaction as Marlene furrowed her little eyebrows, her arms crossing. Barret and Cid were currently engrossed in a deep conversation about Shinra policy with Angeal, otherwise Cloud was sure they would have shut Genesis up already. He was ready to get involved himself. “You were the ones that mentioned you lived under the plate, hm?”

Marlene's eyes flashed at that comment, her nose flaring as she placed both of her tiny hands on the table. 

“Just from this conversation, I can tell we've lived a happier life than you ever will, you mean asshole!” 

Tifa suddenly turned after that, her expression affronted and severe. She looked more upset then Genesis did, and he was the one who had been insulted. Cloud knew with one look. Marlene was about to get scolded.

“Marlene! Where did you learn that? That is not okay to say!”

 Marlene blinked a few times, tears welling in her large brown eyes. “But Cloud said-”

Tifa turned to glare harshly at Cloud, Barret finally turning from his conversation to look at him with a slightly unhinged gaze. Cloud dropped the chicken leg he had been about to bite into and made sudden eye contact with Denzel, Sephiroth, and Red.

“What did Cloud say?” Barret asked, crossing his arms.

“I think I'm going to run to the bathroom.” Cloud said, giving a quick nod to his surrounding patrons. Denzel blinked up at him with large, laughing eyes.

“Wise decision.” Sephiroth smirked, leaning on his palm. 

Cloud returned the smile, half-joking. “Hopefully I won't run into anybody.”

Chapter Text

It was still dark outside when he woke up- not even the sun had woken up as early as Cloud had this fine day. He almost smiled waking up- which was something he never did considering that waking up was often a painful, exhausting experience. But today wasn’t a day to be laying around; today was the day they participated in Shinra’s latest ploy: Running for Midgar. 

As per the broadcast, the event was taking place on the plate, in Sector Five. It would definitely be a long drive from their temporary safe house in Sector Three which practically meant they had to start the day early. He hadn’t gotten up at five in the morning for nothing. 

Cloud had exactly zero idea what to expect from the too-good-to-be-true marathon, but he knew he had a chance to come home filthy rich, and that chance was enough to get him up and running. In the middle of brushing his teeth, he saw Red pop his head out of the covers, yawning. After spitting and washing his face, Cloud got around to changing. He had just recently bought a nice pair of running shorts as well as a cotton t-shirt. In order to maximise their performance they needed to be dressed and equipped for continuous running throughout the day.

“Cloud, I’ve been with you long enough to determine you aren’t exactly like other humans.” Red said, moving to sit on top of the comforter. Cloud pulled his shirt over his head and gave the cat a look to show he was paying attention. Personally, the blonde didn’t see how different he really was compared to others- Nibel wolf genes not included in that assessment.  “Despite our differences, I’ve slowly grown to trust you which is why I say this.”

“What’s up, R-”

“Nanaki. My name is Nanaki.”

Cloud felt his eyes widen, and swallowed despite himself. So that was his real name. They had all been calling him by his fake name for so long, he might have forgotten it was a placeholder… But that made whatever Nanaki was going to say now all the more important. Sure, Cloud had trusted him before, but this was Nanaki expressing that he reciprocated. Cloud turned fully towards the cat, suddenly feeling important.

“What’s up, Nanaki?”

“I don’t think you should attend this marathon.” The cat said, his golden eye meeting Cloud’s with severity. “Shinra purposefully released very few details, it is undeniably a trap. I know you’ve recently been getting friendly with the General, but you can’t forget who the enemy is.”

Cloud drew an exhausted hand down his face, looking away. Nanaki was right. He knew that. But he was running low on gil paying on both the generator and his apartment’s lease. Cloud knew what it was like to live in the slums without a home. After his mother had died, he had trekked to Midgar on foot and lived homeless for a while- he had been so out of it at the time, he still didn’t know how long it had been exactly. Thankfully, Tifa had given him a home then, but they weren’t so fortunate this time around. Tifa didn’t have a home to share with him anymore. 

“I’ll never forget that, but we need that gil to survive.” Cloud said plainly, sagging against the bed frame. He clutched at a few of his spikes before frowning, unable to keep the despair from etching its way onto his face. “I’ve been applying to jobs- all of which haven’t gotten back to me… I’ve even started applying to different Sectors.”

Nanaki dropped his head, sharing in Cloud’s distress silently. The blonde knew he didn’t have to say it. The situation was clear enough: they were guardians of Midgar, sure, now with no home, no jobs- they had nothing. They were at rock bottom with nothing else to lose but their lives. Cloud wasn’t sure what else they could do aside from participating. At least then they had a chance to get gil out of it.

“Don’t- don’t tell Tifa any of this,” Cloud murmured after a second of silence had passed. “She doesn’t need to know. As long as we can get the five hundred we can put all of this behind us.”

Nanaki looked up at him again, but this time Cloud didn’t meet his gaze. 

“I just hope you don’t end up losing something more important.”

After dropping the kids off at school, Barret drove them to the Tonberry Stadium- the location where the marathon was occurring. Just trying to get near the large metal dome was difficult considering the swarms of people that were going about, and parking was even worse. But once they had gotten over that initial hurdle, they joined the massive line and waited. Despite the swarms, the line seemed to be continuously moving forward, and Cloud wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not. 

The blonde didn’t say anything, but the conversation he had with Nanaki weighed on him more than he wanted it to. Usually being surrounded by his friends made Cloud feel invincible- like a hero with limitless capabilities ahead of him. Now though, now the pressure of winning was like a noose around his neck. Almost like he was walking across a bridge he knew was going to break.  

“Are those metal detectors?” Yuffie asked, putting a hand to her mouth. Cloud finally got his head out of his thoughts and looked around. There were a few suited men standing, keeping the crowd in check, but ahead where the entrance was were a crowd of similarly dressed people, metal detectors and flashing mechanisms galore. Cloud wasn’t even sure what he was looking at exactly. He could only tell that people were definitely being patted down, and that some sort of examination was occurring.

“Hey! You there!” Cid shouted, leaving the line to approach one of the suited men. The bald man looked up, taking a second to push his dark sunglasses further up his nose. “What's goin’ on up there? They don’t just look like they’re takin’ IDs.”

“Mako testing. They’re ensuring all participants are on equal ground.” The man glanced behind Cid for a second and seemed to appraise their group before clearing his throat. “As long as you’re law-abiding Shinra citizens there shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Law-abiding my ass,” Cid murmured, turning away from the man to rejoin them. He scratched his blonde hair, his eyes shifting side to side anxiously before grabbing ahold of Vincent’s shoulder and looking Cloud straight in the eyes. “Ya’ll gotta get the hell out of here! They’ve got mako tests goin’ up there!”

“You mean we can’t participate?” Tifa said, her brows creasing in a way that made Cloud all the more determined to find a way they could join the race. 

“Cid and Barret: stay in line. Join the marathon. Call me once you’re in and give me a visual. Everyone else, let's head back to the car… I think we’ll need to change our plans.” Cloud ordered, nodding to himself. He made a quick glance at Nanaki, who avoided his gaze and stepped out of line, determined to head back to their car. 

“You better pick up your PHS when I call,” Barret warned, a determined smile on his lips. Cloud gave him a matching look and a sharp nod. 

After they had made it a good distance away from the line, Cloud pulled out his PHS and dialled Reeve’s number nervously. 

“Hello? Is this Cloud? You’ve never called my number even though I programmed it into your PHS when we first met-”

“Is Reeve available?” Cloud asked Cait Sith, the weight of everyone’s eyes on him nearly searing his skin. Despite never answering his PHS, he was fully capable of using one. “Or do you think you could help me?”

“He’s a bit busy at the moment, but I can definitely help! I was updated yesterday!” Cait Sith said, chuckling a little to himself. Cloud wasn’t sure what that ‘update’ exactly entailed, but he hoped it would help them. “What can I help with?”

“Ask him to view any possible entrances to the B-77 sewers.” Vincent said, blinking slowly. Cloud wasn’t sure where that piece of information had come from, but he did have an inkling to where it might fit. 

“Can you search for any entrances to the B-77 sewers? Any that might be near to the Tonberry Stadium?”

Cloud heard the distinct sound of keys clicking, followed by a happy little tune from Cait Sith before there was an ‘aha!’. 

“I’ve got a nice map here that I’m sending your way… All entrances to the sewers are marked in red. Typically, these entrances will be man-holes, as is most common in the upper plate, but I’m not positive.” With a light ding, Cloud’s PHS vibrated, allowing him to view the photo Cait Sith was referring to. “Interesting you mentioned these- they’ve been out of use for years! I bet most have forgotten they’re even down there!”

The image was tiny on Cloud’s PHS screen, but it was clear that there were at least two or three manholes within the stadium. There were even more entrances outside of it. If they were to enter from the outside, they could definitely get around security by entering through one of the manholes- that was assuming there wasn’t security inside. Knowing Shinra, that was unlikely. 

“That’ll do it, thanks.” Cloud murmured, still thinking.

“Of course! Oh, and Reeve instructed me to tell you- that is if you did decide to call today- that, the race is not something you should participate in!” Cloud glanced at his friends, and quickly clicked his PHS off of speaker. “President Shinra himself hasn’t briefed the heads about what this entire marathon business is about! It's definitely of a shady sort, I’d say, and not worth the risk!” 

“I’ll take that into consideration, Cait. Thanks again.” With that, Cloud ended the call and pocketed his PHS, turning to face everyone. Before he had a chance to brief everyone, Nanaki eyed Vincent, a sort of wariness in his stance.

“Have you been to these sewers before?” When Vincent nodded his head, the cat sat down, tilting his head. “Will you satiate my curiosity if I ask why?”

Vincent pursed his lips for a moment, his red eyes flickering as he glanced down towards his feet and then forward. 

“When I was a Turk I often used unconventional and outdated routes to complete my goals.”

“A turk?!” Yuffie exclaimed, balling her hands into fists and nearly moving to stand before Vincent. Tifa grabbed her shoulder before she could do anything rash. “You were a part of Shinra’s secret service? I thought you were-”

“Yuffie, you need to calm down.” Tifa instructed, rubbing a gentle circle into the younger girl’s back. “We can’t make a scene here.”

Vincent glanced at Cloud, his expression weary, and a little sad. Cloud rubbed his temples before his PHS began ringing again, nearly catching him off-guard. It was Cid’s number. 

“Hey-”

“Those damn SOLDIERs are runnin’ alongside all of us. There's also bleachers- not that many people are sittin’ but anyone who is has got a vantage point.” Cid’s voice crackled a bit over the phone, the buzz of nearby conversation audible. “It's a damn shit show in here.”

“They also gave us these entry running bracelets. They track how many laps you’ve run and only work while you’re in the stadium.” Barret said, his voice slightly distant. Cloud cursed before turning back to his friends.

“Only two of us can enter.” The blonde glanced hesitantly at everyone before turning back to the conversation on the phone. He hoped he didn’t look half as nervous as he was feeling. “Have you seen any manholes? Any that are well hidden, or out of plain sight?”

There was a second of silence before Barret sounded through again.

“There was! In the men’s bathroom, there was just one right there, as soon as you walk in. I thought it was odd placement, but I mean, no one was popping through it…”

Nanaki shook his head, his eye narrowed.

“It's too convenient.”

Tifa glanced at Cloud after that, worry creasing her brow, but he didn't focus on it. There was only one way they were going to get that gil and that was by staying focused. He couldn’t afford to mess this up. 

“You two, make your way to the men’s bathroom. I’ll meet you there in a minute.” After hanging up his PHS, Cloud turned to his friends, the tension rolling off in waves. “Who’s going with me to run?” 

“I’m better equipped to fly. The furthest I can get you is the sewers.” Vincent said, crossing his arms. 

Cloud looked at Tifa and Yuffie, knowing Nanaki didn’t have much of a chance sneaking into the arena. 

“I’ll go,” Yuffie said, pulling away from Tifa to stand in front of her. “What happened to Seventh Heaven… It was kind of my fault. Give me a chance to make it right!”

Tifa and Cloud shared a look before she nodded, her expression softening. Cloud didn’t particularly care who went as long as they had stamina and speed. They needed to run as many laps as possible.

“Take care of Cloud, Yuffie.” Tifa looked down for a second before grabbing Yuffie’s hand and holding it up. “If anything goes wrong, or looks remotely trap-like, or even a little dangerous- you have to promise me: you’ll abort the mission.”

Yuffie blinked owlishly at that, turning to look at Cloud for a second before nodding emphatically. 

“Okay! We, uh promise. Now lets go go go!” Yuffie turned to look at Vincent, wrinkling her nose before grabbing the edge of his cloak. “Sorry to you too! I know you’ve got your own problems with Shinra, I’m just taken by surprise every time another person says they work for Shinra! There’s just so many, okay?”

“Alright,” Vincent agreed, grabbing Yuffie and Cloud’s arms. After a moment, they were trudging through a dark sewer, towards a manhole Cloud was only fifty percent sure he wanted to open. It was time to run.

Switching out with Barret and Cid was slightly more complicated than Cloud had thought it would be. They had the wonderful idea of barricading the door to the men’s bathroom temporarily, and while it gave them plenty of time to shove Cid down the manhole, it wasn’t exactly practical. The fact they had to take off the annoying little bracelets Shinra had given them also had stopped them up. Switching those had required a lot of pulling and something close to an amputation. 

Once they had put the too-large metal bracelets on and slipped as discreetly as they could out of the bathroom- that now had a line trailing out of it- they joined the hordes of runners. Inside the Tonberry Stadium the ceiling was large and domed, but it wasn’t the same as it looked on the outside. Inside, the ceiling was a pale white, different colours flashing across it like fireworks in the sky. A massive steel hyperboloid stood proudly in the centre of the arena, with a flashy light display of its own dancing across the metal; conveniently, the display also made it impossible to fully glance across the wide area. Bleachers surrounded the track, but when Cloud took a cursory glance mid run he didn’t see many people sitting. Each sector had their own day to race, but even with just Sector Seven folks, the stadium was packed. 

“So we're just gonna keep running in these big circles then?” Yuffie said, glancing all around with wide, interested eyes. Cloud couldn’t help but mirror her expression of awe. He wasn’t often on the plate, and seeing the sort of things Shinra dumped its money in was as impressive as it was disappointing. 

He shrugged, joining the oncoming wave of runners  and matched their pace. Yuffie quickly dashed after him.

“I didn’t expect to see you here,” Sephiroth said suddenly to his right, nearly making Yuffie squawk. Cloud jumped a little himself. He had been so caught up in the surrounding runners and the smell of sweat and strong deodorant he hadn’t even noticed Sephiroth was there. He did recall Cid mentioning SOLDIERs though. “Your bracelet seems a little loose. You didn’t steal it, did you?”

Yuffie paused for a second, making wide eyes before Cloud nudged her and met Sephiroth’s smirk with apathy. 

“No, just lost a few pounds running,” Cloud said, eyeing Barret’s dangling bracelet on his wrist. What could he say? Barret’s wrist was a lot larger than his. Cloud glanced over at Yuffie and noticed Cid’s bracelet on her wasn’t sitting much better. “Is Zack around here?”  

Sephiroth flicked his long, silver ponytail off of his shoulder, his smirk deterred. 

“If there's something you need to ask a qualified SOLDIER, I think I can answer as well as he could if not better.” 

“Cloud doesn’t want to talk to you , he wants to talk to his friend!” Yuffie said, rolling her eyes and pulling Cloud’s arm to match her pace. The blonde shrugged at Sephiroth, unbothered by the conversation’s abrupt end. Yuffie let out a sigh once they had passed him a good distance and pursed her lips, looking put off. “Why is he everywhere we go? He was at the market, the hotel, and now he’s here! He’s totally stalking you, Cloud!”

“I think he wants to arrest me,” Cloud sighed, noticing they were running a slightly more empty part of the track. Here the sound of conversation was slightly more distant, with only a few groups of runners ahead of them. He found the sound of their sneakers sinking into the asphalt almost comforting. “He thinks he knows everything about… everything .”

Yuffie let out an insufferable puff of air before kicking into the asphalt with unreasonable force.

“He’s a creepy asshole is what he is. We should make sure we stay ahead of him.” She paused in her speech for a second to offer Cloud some credibility. Almost like she wasn’t very sure of herself, and wanted to reinforce her opinions. “Cid said he looks like an overgrown Jemnezmy and I didn’t see it until I saw him in that ugly tight shirt. Like, who picked that out for him?”

“He’s probably wearing it for some sponsorship,” Cloud shrugged. He hadn’t even noticed what Sephiroth had chosen to wear today, though going off previous encounters, it was most likely well-fitted and ridiculously expensive.

Yuffie paused to take a deep breath through her nose before facing Cloud with the largest, most inquisitive gaze she could make. She took a second to think, which wasn’t something the blonde thought she did often enough and moved slightly closer to him, dropping her voice to a very loud whisper.

Cloud had to give her some credit. The only other person he knew that was that bad at whispering was Zack.

“So I know why we’re running this race and all, but why exactly are you guys up against Shinra again?”

Cloud coughed scratching his head deftly.

“Haven’t you been with us a while now?” When Yuffie laughed and slapped his shoulder like he had said something funny, Cloud just sighed. “We were entrusted by the planet to save the animals… I have a feeling it's more than that, but I haven’t exactly got the time to do any of my own research.” 

“Ohh, so you’re like super environmentalists, even though you don’t really sound that super.” Yuffie slowed down as a young, petite girl in a suit halted them, a small frown on her face.

“Please do not pull at your bracelets when you’re running. You risk tampering with your own results.” And with that, she fastened both Cloud and Yuffie’s bracelets with what looked like some sort of magnetic pen. With how tight they were now, the bracelets almost felt like cuffs to Cloud. “You’ve also reached your first lap. Congratulations.”

“What's the most laps done so far?” Cloud asked, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand.  He wasn’t tired yet, but with so many people in one area, he was definitely beginning to feel warm.

“The total number of laps done by a single civilian so far is 35 laps. Some of the SOLDIERs have gotten to 60, and even 70- not that their performance is considered in the final rankings.” She said, tapping at something on her PHS screen. “If there's nothing else, feel free to proceed.”

Cloud ran past her. It was going to be a long time until he even hit thirty five laps, but at least they hadn’t run into any obvious traps, and with Sephiroth having seen him here it was practically a guarantee he wasn’t Wolf. Yuffie seemed to be in similarly high spirits, chatting about whatever was on her mind, though it usually was about Wutai, or something new she’d seen in Midgar.

Despite listening for a majority of the conversation, it didn’t take long for Cloud to really remember how young Yuffie was. At sixteen, she had been through a lot; living through a war wasn’t something easy, especially since she had been actively pursuing Shinra since she was twelve. Cloud was still having a hard time wrapping his head around that one. 

When he was sixteen, he hadn’t even left Nibelheim yet- Midgar was far off, as far as his dreams and hopes even. Yuffie, who had been on a completely different continent, had made her way to Midgar for revenge and money… They were very different people, but that made Cloud feel all the more insistent that she got her happy ending… And it wasn’t a bad thing that it just happened to align with his own goals of ending Shinra.

They were near their fortieth lap when Cloud had to stop jogging and just walk. Sure he was fast when he needed to be, but his stamina was only so much. Yuffie was dragging behind him, her white sneakers greyed and arms hanging limply by her side. They had been running for at least two hours now, and watched most of their fellow runners drop out, or leave. The track was fairly empty now, with only a few stray runners still going for the win. 

They had called with Tifa and Barret at different times, assuring them everything was fine and how smoothly everything was going, and up to that point Cloud didn’t think anything could go wrong. If Shinra had wanted to strike, they would have done it earlier rather than later. At least that's what he kept telling himself. 

“I don’t even feel like talking anymore. My legs are gonna break in two. That's the only thing I can think about.” Yuffie groaned, dragging her feet as she trudged forward. Cloud didn’t admit his legs were burning like hell too. One of them had to pretend. 

“When that behemoth almost killed me, my head was actually close to breaking in two,” Cloud said instead, refusing to laugh as Yuffie blew a raspberry in his general direction. “You did say you wanted your chance, right?”

“Thanks for the empathy,” Yuffie drawled, freezing mid-step. Cloud paused too, looking at her with a single raised brow. He was way too tired to be walking back any amount of steps to see what she was being dramatic about. “Do you see who that is?”

“Where?” Cloud asked, his eyes scanning the general area Yuffie was looking at. He saw a few people sitting in the bleachers, as well as an elderly man. He blinked a few times looking for anyone he recognized and then felt a cold chill straight down his back. There was someone he recognized sitting up there. “Shit.”

“That's Rufus Shinra- the president’s son!” Yuffie cried, shaking Cloud’s shoulder roughly. Cloud hadn’t noticed Rufus, he had noticed Dr. Hollander sitting casually beside him, the same terrifying grin on his face. “What is he doing here? Do you think he came out specifically looking for us?”

“We need to get to the other side of the arena. Keep your head down-”

“That old geezer next to him is pointing at us.” Cloud saw the moment when panic passed from his face to her’s, the idea of being recognized from so far away, as terrifying as it was adrenaline-inducing. She grabbed his arm, pulling him with renewed strength the blonde didn’t have himself. “Shoot! Cloud!!! What do we do?!”

“I say we temporarily leave-”

“Back through the manhole?” Yuffie asked, glancing towards the men’s bathroom as they passed. A lanky red-head stood near the door, whistling an off-tune song, his eyes wild and bright. “Where exactly are we leaving from?!”

“Keep running. Don’t let them know we’ve noticed them.” Cloud murmured, looking around the room for any escape. With Yuffie freaking out, Cloud couldn’t help but feel more nervous himself, his hand going for his dice. The ceiling was always an option for Wolf, not that he particularly wanted to destroy whatever light setup they had going on up there.  “Do you see Sephiroth, or any SOLDIERs?”

Yuffie paused before shaking her head, her eyes wide and frantic. Cloud wondered if he was making the same expression as she was. 

“Wanna try the ceiling?” 

“Are you feeling good enough to go up there?” Yuffie asked, looking around furiously. No one had moved to stop them yet, but Cloud could feel the moment coming. They had walked into a trap. He wouldn’t say he didn’t expect it, just he wasn’t exactly sure what was coming. “What if we called Vincent and he portalled us here and back?”

Cloud nodded briefly before grabbing ahold of his PHS, and scrolling through his list of saved contacts. Before he had a chance to dial anything, Cloud sensed something over his shoulder and grabbed Yuffie, rolling through the asphalt roughly. 

“Fetch!” The red-head from before said, grinning, picking up the rod that had nearly hit Cloud in the head. It crackled with a glow of uncontrolled electricity. “Thought I saw a dog ‘round here.”

“I definitely see a bad dye job!” Yuffie bit back, rising to her feet, her fists clenched. The red-head clicked his tongue, eyeing her. 

The bald man from earlier approached them from the opposite side of the track, pulling at his gloves and stretching in a way that showed off his obviously well-toned arms. He towered over both Cloud and Yuffie, his eyes covered by a dark pair of shades.

“The President wants to speak with you.”

“Well, we don’t wanna talk with him.” Cloud said, glaring at them both. With two versus two, winning a battle might actually be feasible- they could probably even take more. He still didn’t know who exactly he was dealing with, but if Hollander was involved, his identity was already out. He was allowed to use any weapon in his arsenal. “If you stand down, we’ll let you walk away unscathed.”

“Unfortunately, you’re not exactly in a position to be saying that,” A third person said, triggering something in his hand. He was tall and dark-haired, appearing out of what looked like nowhere. Instantly Cloud crumbled to the ground, his muscles contracting as sharp pain radiated up his sides, and through the tips of his fingers. He shuddered, the sound of Yuffie yelling radiating in his ears. Despite all the chaos that surrounded him, the only thing he could think of was Tifa and Barret, and the fact they would never get Seventh Heaven back.

Chapter Text

They were dragged up too many stairs, and tossed into a side room somewhere; Cloud wasn’t sure where exactly, but he assumed it was still somewhere in the Tonberry Stadium. They hadn’t been tied up, but Cloud knew these guys didn’t need rope to restrain them. The damned bracelets they had put on willingly were all they needed to keep them in check. As soon as they were shoved into a room with Hollander and the president’s son, someone kicked their legs from the back forcing them to kneel. Cloud almost knew it was the annoying red-head.

Having been treated so roughly, Cloud didn’t feel like he was up for a chat. A quick glance at Yuffie told him she was already beyond seething, her eyes narrowed and teeth bared. This wasn't her first violent run in with Shinra afterall.

“So you’re the famous Cloud Strife? A pleasure to finally meet you.” Rufus said, standing to look down on the blonde. He looked like he might extend a hand to him, but instead he ran a hand through his slicked hair looking like the pompous young master Cloud was sure he was. 

There had been a time when the president’s son had been all over the news for random problematic shit. Recently though, Cloud wasn't sure what he had been up to. Trapping innocents seemed to be the new likely cause of his busyness.

“Whatever the hell you want to say, say it.” Cloud growled, his body aching. The taser-like mechanism in his bracelet had only drained him further, but leaving them unbound was the only chance he needed. The only remaining question was how to get Yuffie on the same page as he was.

“Straight to the point. I can appreciate that.” Rufus said, moving around Hollander to sit down and cross his legs. Staring at the soles of his fancy shoes only made Cloud avert his eyes. “You came here today for gil, is that correct?”

“We don’t want your dirty money!” Yuffie said, pushing forward to glare at him, malice dancing in her large brown eyes. Cloud discreetly tried to grab her attention, but she seemed wholly focused on verbally attacking Rufus. “You can take all the gil you have and stick it up your Shinra fattened ass-”

“Tseng.” The president snapped, and with the push of a button Cloud watched Yuffie freeze, her arms twisting at a painful angle as she fell face first onto the concrete floor, electricity spiralling around her fingers and dancing off her skin in blue sparks. The blonde felt his heart skip a beat, his eyes wide in complete horror. He was an adult. It was fair game for them to attack him. To attack Yuffie though- that was completely different territory. She was just a kid. “So as I was saying, I can give you one hundred thousand gil so long as you complete one simple task.”

“If you think I’ll do shit for you after this-”

“I want you to assassinate President Shinra.” Rufus said, looking Cloud directly in his eyes. 

Cloud froze, unspeaking. One hundred thousand gil for doing something that was probably already in the books for them? Not a bad deal…No, but that wasn’t exactly true. This conversation wasn’t really about gil anymore. The moment Rufus used force, the question changed from gil to something far more delicate. This was about principle. Cloud glanced briefly at Yuffie who was moaning and holding her stomach, her young face still scrunched up in pain. If he agreed to this job, what was to stop him from the next one? If he was wholly motivated by gil, what made him any different than President Shinra?

“And in case you’re not interested, Dr. Hollander has been telling me about some escaped pets of his. As a faithful citizen of Midgar, it is my duty to return lost things to their original owners.” Rufus said, glancing at his nails as if he was talking about something superficial like the weather. Cloud felt his heartbeat pick up, his chest aching and his thoughts a jumbled mess. 

“I’ve missed you… ‘Wolf’? That is what you go by now, isn’t it?” Hollander asked, leaning on his arm as he peered down at Cloud like he was an animal. “Cute pet name for sure. We can keep that, if you want.”

“So either I agree to your deal,” Cloud paused, moving to stand. His legs were trembling so hard, he wasn’t sure if he would be able to stand all the way, but he somehow managed. “Or I go back with Hollander?”

“That’s what he said, what are you deaf or something?” The red-head piped up from behind Cloud. He sauntered forward, swinging his rod around like it was a toy. “Thought dogs were supposed to have good hearing.”

“Last person who called me that had their ass served to them-”

“My ass has been served to no one,” Genesis said, emerging from the shadows, his arms crossed and eyes dark. 

With just Rufus and his bodyguards, Cloud had thought he and Yuffie had a decent chance at escape. With Genesis in the mix, escaping with their lives would be miraculous. Unfortunately, Cloud didn’t believe in miracles. He did think pretty highly of his own strength now, though. And that left him with only one option. It wasn't a good, or smart decision, but Cloud unfortunately was having a hard time coming up with any other alternatives.

“We’ll have to fix that then right, Yuffie?” And without waiting for her to answer, he gripped his dice, chanting Reeve’s magic words before transforming. 

In a blur of green and white magic, Cloud was leaping off the walls, his sword swinging wherever he saw something move. Yuffie had taken his cue, and transformed herself, her shuriken spinning before Cloud even had a chance to blink. The tall dark-haired leader was pressing his mechanism repeatedly, but Cloud just grimaced, his body seizing as he continued his assault. 

His first thought had been to aim for Rufus- afterall, if he could get ahold of their leader, he would have leverage. Who would have guessed Rufus was a trained combatant himself, and armed with a shotgun. Cloud had nearly got shot point-blank. Luckily, blocking with his largest sword wasn’t the most difficult maneuver, but in such a tiny room that action sent him nearly falling into Hollander.

“Hey! Playtime is over, blondie! Time to meet the Turks!” The read-head cheered, lunging toward Cloud who backed away and tripped as Hollander grabbed ahold of one of his legs, slamming a large bag into his head. 

“Don’t touch him!” Yuffie shouted, dodging Genesis’s attacks with the ease of an athlete. No matter how he tried to slice or cut her, she managed to just flip or turn out of the way. After a particularly violent lunge, Yuffie dodged beneath his arm and pulled a glowing materia out of her arsenal. “I’m gonna cast Ultima, I’m warning all of you!”

Before she had a chance to follow up on that, Genesis kicked her down, his dark wing fluttering out from his back.

Cloud sputtered as he took a hard punch to his gut, followed by a painful bullet launching itself into his shoulder. He wanted to collapse with pain, but instead used the chance to swing his blade around himself, cutting into the metal wall like it was paper. Rufus continued to fire at him even as their distance increased, and Cloud cursed every god he knew that the president’s son was such a good shot.

“Legend shall speak of sacrifice at world's end…” Genesis murmured, his sword wrapped in flame. That was bad news if Cloud had ever seen it, but he didn’t get a chance to think about it as the red-head began repeatedly slamming his rod into whatever part of Cloud he could reach.

“We need to leave!” Cloud shouted, unable to look for Yuffie in the ensuing chaos. He threw his largest sword at the dark-haired man who was still pressing the damning taser, and drew two different blades meeting the red-head, and the bald man in melee. 

“He has a missile, Cloud! That Hollander-” Cloud heard Yuffie squeal before kicking off of Rufus’s face to leap to the opposite side of the room. “I’m ready to go!”

“If you launch that in here, I will end your funding,” Rufus growled, shooting towards Yuffie. That comment was probably for Hollander, but Cloud wasn't sure the scientist heard it through all the chaos.

Cloud bit the bald-man’s hand when he successfully landed a punch on his face, tearing skin and tasting blood. Fueled by his urgency, the blonde grabbed hold of the bald man and flung him into his partner and Hollander before lunging onto Rufus’s back and sending him crashing to the floor. He didn’t know where the aggression had come from, but he was going to ride this wave until he was either killed, or free.

“Touch the president, and I will incinerate your lady friend here,” Genesis growled, his blade pointed towards Yuffie’s neck. She looked at Cloud with frightened eyes before clenching her fists.

“I won’t be the reason you fail again!” Yuffie declared, ducking underneath his sword to dash past him. Cloud watched in slow motion as Genesis mercilessly spun with her movement, his searing sword slicing down her back as she attempted to escape. She spit a mouthful of blood out before falling straight onto her knees; then time returned to its normal speed and Cloud was once again getting pummeled by too many people, Yuffie completely incapacitated.

With the last surge of strength he had, Cloud lifted Rufus from under him and held him close, his blade pressing against his thin neck. He was currently at the point where even breathing hurt him, and he knew if this continued much longer he was going down fast.

“Stop attacking you idiots!” Rufus said, as the red-head nearly slammed him with his electric rod. Hollander actually had the gall to laugh a little. 

“You’re going to let us leave,” Cloud said, breathing with a lot of difficulty, his vision blurring with the unbridled pain it took to remain standing there. “Or else I’m going to cut his head clean off.”

The room went silent for a second before Yuffie struggled to her feet, her back a gory, dripping mess. Cloud closed his eyes before watching her struggle through the opening he had cut through the wall.

“Its-its a jump, Cloud,” Yuffie said, her voice a weak imitation of the vibrant tones Cloud had gotten familiar with during the race. He watched her disappear and once he heard a thump below, neared the exit himself, Rufus Shinra still held close. 

“He’s coming with-”

“Like hell he is,” Genesis said, slashing Cloud’s arm and kicking the blonde backwards. Cloud felt his own blade just barely nick the president’s neck before gravity pulled him downwards, his back slamming hard into the domed roof of the Tonberry Stadium, but he didn’t stop there. The force of his fall kept him rolling, his back hitting hard into a few surfaces until he rolled roughly to a stop, the scent of blood cloyingly strong in his nose. 

“Cloud!” Yuffie said, jumping down after him. When she made it beside him, Cloud barely felt his head being lifted before his vision spotted and then returned. He gasped for air painfully, his ribs throbbing in chest. “You’re not dead, right?! Cloud!”

“Is… Is your back,” Cloud barely stifled a groan sitting up, shaking his head. His mouth was full of the taste of his own blood- maybe even that Turk’s. He grabbed Yuffie’s hand, forcing his fluttering eyes open. “Are you okay?”

“I’m- I mean it hurts like hell, but it's not as deep as it looks.” Yuffie bit her lip, her eyes looking watery as she gently tried to pull Cloud to his feet. She was lying and he knew it. Denzel had gone through a phase when he was younger where he constantly lied about how he felt. “We need to get out of here, and fast!”

“You’re right,” Cloud whispered, using one of his swords to push himself to his feet. He made it a few steps before grabbing a hold of his stomach and vomiting. Even in his blurred vision he could see a majority of it was blood. He wiped at his mouth, his eyes nearly spinning back into his head before taking a few more steps. “We need to get off the plate…Somewhere far away from Sector Three.”

“But what about everybody-”

“We’ll put everyone at risk if we go back there,” Cloud said, looking over his shoulder and regretting it. His neck felt like it was broken and his head was pulsing, consuming him in waves of more nausea. “I know a place- Sector Six slums. We- we’ll go there and call Tifa.”

“How’re we going to get there, Cloud?” Yuffie asked, her voice breaking. They had both managed a few steps, but Yuffie trembled for a second, her small shaking hand reaching at her back. “How bad does it look, Cloud? You look like you’re gonna fall over at any second. Have you seen your arm?”

Cloud felt his eyelids droop before he blinked and really looked at Yuffie. Bruises mottled her skin, red burns from the electricity travelling all the way down her legs and across her arms. Cloud staggered before sliding down against a tree trunk, unable to stand for much longer. He looked at his arm sluggishly and blinked at the large laceration- blinked at the white he could see underneath it. Was that bone?

“You’ve looked better,” He acquiesced, moving to stand again. He would carry both of them if it came to it. Genesis had let them get away this time for whatever reason, but Rufus and his goons were sure to be back soon. “We’ll find… We’ll find some cover and nap. Then I’ll rent a car or something.”

“What about the fact we’re both bleeding out?” Yuffie asked, her bottom lip trembling. She was seconds away from a breakdown, and Cloud could see it. Unfortunately, he wasn’t sure what he could do to help her regarding that particular issue at the moment. “We might never wake up.”

“I’ll wake up,” Cloud promised, his sword dissolving into a cluster of useless light. He didn't have the concentration to maintain his transformation. Without any support, he fell straight onto his face, his arms just moving to catch him. 

He didn’t open his eyes this time.

When Cloud opened his eyes again, the first thing he noticed was the fact he felt completely defeated. Physically, he had been pummeled and beaten and shot- the sheer amount of pain he was in, made him want to pass right back out. Worse yet, there wasn’t a coin of gil he had brought back- which meant absolutely none of their financial issues were solved. He may have amassed a whole new debt in trying to pay for whatever state he had gotten them both into now.  And that was the cherry on top of everything: he had almost gotten Yuffie killed. He had almost gotten a sixteen year old killed for money. He was angry at Rufus and Shinra sure, he was even more angry about the gil, but most of all he was disappointed in himself. So many people had warned him. The least he could have done was be brought down alone. 

The second, more pressing thing Cloud noticed was the bed he was currently laying in. It was probably the most comfortable thing he had ever slept in, with its down comforter and satin covered pillows, but it was definitely not his bed. Nor was it any bed he was familiar with. 

Yuffie was thankfully lying next to him, curled into herself and her hair messy. Her back had been bandaged, though the gauze was bloodied, evidence the wound was very fresh and very serious. He wasn’t sure where they were, but he wasn’t going to take any further chances. The thing he needed to focus on was getting them back home. No more distractions.

Cloud eased his way off the bed, careful not to use his right arm- seeing as it was almost completely covered in bloodied bandages all the way up to his shoulder, and flipped his legs over the high ledge of the bed releasing a sigh. That made his chest ache and he quickly brought a hand to his mouth as a painful cough followed, wet blood coating his pale fingers. He wiped it carelessly on his pants and proceeded to move forward, ignoring the screaming pain that crawled up his legs and back. 

He made it out of the overly large bedroom before having to sag against the corridor wall, the pain too much and his strength too little. He wasn't sure he had it in him to beat their mysterious benefactor- if it came to that. Wherever he was, it was fairly large and minimally furnished- almost familiar in a way, though Cloud couldn’t recall where he had seen it before. 

Forcing himself forward a few more steps, he eventually made it to a wider opening, and froze as he finally caught sight of a man sitting on the couch. Sephiroth was sitting on a large leather couch, his legs kicked out, and silver hair loosely pleated. There was a book in his hand, his eyes trained on its pages before randomly flickering upwards to meet Cloud’s. The blonde’s first thoughts were on  how he was supposed to take Sephiroth on in a fight in his current state. His next thoughts went to which sword would be the most effective.

Cloud's hand immediately went to his pocket, only to find there were no pockets in the current pair of pants he was wearing. They weren’t his pants. He felt his mouth drop open stupidly.

“Cloud-” Sephiroth said, standing to move towards him, but the blonde quickly changed his tactic, readying himself to turn and run before he remembered what had happened to Yuffie. Never show your back to a SOLDIER. He bared his teeth at Sephiroth, making small steps backwards before slipping and falling hard on his ass, the hurt making him curl in on himself. Sephiroth lurched towards him then, the distance between them closing far faster than Cloud had anticipated. Instinctually, the blonde slashed in front of him, his claws detracting only as Sephiroth caught his wrist tightly, his green eyes severe and face cold. 

“What no, how-” Cloud paused, feeling his consciousness slipping away from him again before he grounded himself in the throbbing agony of his multiple, irritated injuries. It was his decisions that had got him here. Sephiroth had won- Shinra had won. He swallowed the blood he had been ready to cough up and glared upwards at Sephiroth, his head pulsing. “You can arrest me- but Yuffie… She’s just a kid.”

Cloud slumped forward and felt his forehead tap Sephiroth’s chin before jerking upwards. His speech had been less convincing than he had intended, but he had managed to get the most important part out. 

“You are in absolutely no condition to be having this conversation.” Sephiroth said matter-of-factly, one hand slipping around Cloud’s waist and the other finding the crook of his knees. In a single easy motion, the blonde felt himself being lifted, his head lolling dangerously.

“Put him down!” Yuffie cried, a bottle of lotion in her hand raised like a projectile. That made Cloud’s eyes open again, his exhaustion taking a back seat as he tried to figure out a way to get -and stay- on his own feet again. “I- I will mess you up!”

“I  am attempting to help both of you- why your first choice is violence is beyond me.” Sephiroth said, taking a very intimidating step forward. Cloud watched as the lotion bottle was flung across the hallway, popping the General on the side of his head before falling harmlessly on the floor. Sephiroth frowned, his brow twitching. 

“Now we’re both going to prison. G’job, Yuffie,” Cloud slurred, pushing against Sephiroth to try and get back on his own feet. When the man didn’t budge he sighed, relaxing completely. “You should go after Rufus once we're behind bars. I wanna see ‘im in prison too.”

“Rufus? Rufus Shinra?” Sephiroth repeated, a confused expression flashing across his handsome face. When Cloud didn't respond he sighed, jerking his head to remove a stray lock of hair from his face. “Regardless, I have yet to arrest either of you, though both of you seem to have difficulty perceiving that fact.”

“Cloud! Cloud you were hit so many times in the head by that Turk you got concussed and now you’re telling the enemy information!” Yuffie approached Sephiroth hesitantly before rising to her tiptoes to poke Cloud’s face somewhat gently. The blonde jerked to wakefulness, his eyes fluttering. “Cloud?”

“M’bad,” Cloud murmured, his eyes falling shut once more. Yuffie pursed her lips, watching as the blonde shifted to get slightly more comfortable in Sephiroth’s arms, his spiky, blonde head pressed flush against the General’s chest.

“I am not your enemy.” Sephiroth stated.

“Yeah, well I don't believe you,” Yuffie declared, eyeing the silver haired man with disdain.

Cloud let out a soft snore, his breath warm on Sephiroth’s neck. That was, unfortunately, the only contribution he was currently capable of making.

Chapter Text

When Cloud woke up again, the sky was dark outside, tiny twinkling stars just visible between the long, dark drapes that covered the window. Down in the slums, Cloud could never even dream of seeing the stars; seeing them now reminded him of Nibelheim- a place he never wanted to return to, but could never forget. He sat up after a second and blinked about, his head pulsing. He needed to get up and figure out who had found them, and-

“Cloud!” Yuffie exclaimed, jumping to his bedside, her eyes bright with happiness despite the fact the room was nearly dark. She was wearing a massive t-shirt that hung just above her knees, her thin arms practically drowning in the sleeves. “You woke up! We’re saved!”

“Who found us?” Cloud asked, rising to his feet shakily. Yuffie popped around him to help stabilize him as he moved to stand. He still felt very weak, but that would probably last for a few days. As long as he could walk, he was practically in tip top shape for whatever Shinra was going to throw at them next. 

“I did.” Sephiroth announced, walking into the room unprompted. His jade eyes nearly glowed in the darkness, coruscating and bright. Cloud stared for a second before grabbing at his dice, only to find the pair of pants he was wearing had no pockets. For some reason he felt an odd sense of deja vu. Realising he wouldn’t be able to transform, he glanced around the room for anything that looked remotely weapon-like and settled for grabbing the desk lamp, his injured arm moving to slightly push Yuffie behind him. Sephiroth raised his eyebrows at that.

Cloud regretfully took back his last thought. He was, in fact, not ready for Shinra’s next move.

“What the hell do you want from us?” He asked, his voice sounding rough and tired in his own ears. Last time he had asked that today, he had gotten a rotten answer from Rufus and promptly afterwards he had been beat up. He wasn’t really sure why he kept asking. Sephiroth was likely aligned with Genesis on this particular issue, and even if he wasn’t, now that Cloud’s identity as Wolf was out he was sure to have it out for them because of that alone. It didn’t matter if father or son was ruling Shinra, both wanted Cloud and his fine company dead and that meant SOLDIER did too. 

“If I intended to harm you, or arrest you it would have already been done,” Sephiroth answered, crossing his arms and leaning against the doorframe to what Cloud belatedly realised was his room. He had dodged the question, and proceeded to give them false assurances. There was always the possibility Sephiroth was holding them there until someone else showed up. Someone like Hollander, or Rufus. “I would appreciate it if you would set my lamp down so we can have a civilised conversation.”

“Then let us leave,” Cloud said, sagging a little bit. Even though his left arm didn’t have any major injuries, it was still bruised, and he was still doing less than ideally. He hadn’t expected to wake up to Sephiroth of all people in the least. 

“You're free to leave whenever you’d like,” Sephiroth murmured, bowing his head for a moment. Cloud watched a few silvery strands pull from behind his ear to frame his face, hiding whatever emotion he was experiencing. He looked up suddenly, something of a subtle smirk appearing on his angular face. “However, we are currently within Shinra. All first class were given private living quarters on floor 49. Do what you will with that information.”

“Shoot! You might as well have said we couldn’t leave!” Yuffie said, shaking her head emphatically. Seeing her reaction, Sephiroth actually smiled a bit wider, his eyes crinkling like he derived some sick amusement from making young girls upset. 

“So we’re stuck living with you then?” Cloud asked dryly, refusing to give the man any other reason to be amused. He may have been in terrible shape, but his head was still working, and in no world was living with Sephiroth a part of any ideal plan he might have come up with. “Why did you even save us?”

“If I were to answer honestly, you would refuse to believe me.” Sephiroth responded plainly, crossing his arms. Even in his fine, silken pajamas, Sephiroth seemed to have something against the top most button of his shirts considering he always left them undone. That was going to bother Cloud for the rest of his stay. 

“Maybe you should be more genuine then,” The blonde reasoned. He placed the lamp down somewhat hesitantly, feeling slightly grumpy about the entire situation. While he should be thankful to Sephiroth to a degree, it was hard to give him any credit when Cloud was pretty sure he was keeping them alive for information- which didn’t make him a horrible person, but it was practically guaranteed that once the General got what he wanted, Cloud and Yuffie would be left for dead.

“Yeah right, that's just an excuse! Tell us the truth!”  Yuffie said, her pointing finger as accusative as it was undaunted. 

“I saved you… Because it was the right thing to do.” Sephiroth said, blinking at them, his expression completely blank. Cloud honestly wasn’t sure if that was his attempt at sincerity, or humour.

“He did not just-” Yuffie cried, pressing her hands to her face before grabbing ahold of Cloud’s left shoulder. The blonde just shook his head, the rest of his limbs too injured to successfully overreact with. “Oh my gods!”

“Next time you pull shit, I’m going to remind you to do the right thing ,” Cloud said vindictively, glaring at Sephiroth out of the corner of his eyes.  The General shrugged, remaining in the doorway like a troll guarding his bridge. It only took Yuffie about five seconds to get irritated by it and approach him, fuming. 

“Why’re you just standing there? We’re not a performing troupe you can just watch. Or have you just never had any friends-”

“I was going to give you a tour of this apartment so you wouldn’t need to walk about aimlessly in search of a room. Is that alright?” Sephiroth asked, tilting his head slightly. His tone was completely patronizing, and with the colour Yuffie’s cheeks were turning, Cloud bet she wasn't dense enough to ignore it. Living with Sephiroth wasn’t going to be restful. It was going to be hell. “If you’d prefer-”

“Get on with it,” Cloud muttered. He needed to come up with an escape plan and fast.

After receiving the most silent, straightforward tour of the century, Cloud and Yuffie slunk back to Sephiroth’s bedroom. Despite that probably being the most awkward room to stake out, it was where they had both woken up, and the connected bathroom suite was very impressive. Cloud had never actually seen a bathroom have a separate tub and stand-up shower. It was like luxury was written all over it. 

Yuffie had helpfully told him she had picked Sephiroth’s pocket earlier and used his PHS to call Tifa, though Cloud wasn’t able to ask about the details. Getting angry and excited on whim had clearly worn the young girl out and almost right after the tour, she climbed back into Sephiroth’s too-big bed and had passed out. 

They had never been on good terms, but Cloud realised how indebted they were to Sephiroth for saving their lives. They had practically been on their deathbeds if not for the SOLDIER, and Sephiroth knew that fact as well if not better than them. He was going to call in that debt soon, Cloud could feel it- he just didn’t know what it was going to be. A life for a life was typically how the saying went. 

Cloud slowly made his way back to Sephiroth’s living room, unsurprised to see the man stretched out with a book, his silver hair loose and spilling over his shoulder; the moon just illuminating him and his fine features. Cloud hoped he strained his eyes reading in the darkness.

“I’m done using your shower.” He murmured, another pair of Sephiroth’s too-large sweatpants barely hanging around his waist. Sephiroth’s shower had been an experience all on its own- with the water pouring out of two different walls like an oversized fountain. It had been very warm, and low pressure which felt nice on his aching head though; Cloud was really just trying to recall all of the details so he could tell Tifa about it later. 

“How are your injuries?” Sephiroth asked, sitting up and placing his materia fusion book away. He glanced up at Cloud for once, his green eyes darkening as they raked across his exposed torso. The blonde swallowed despite himself, suddenly feeling self-conscious. “The bruising on your chest seems very severe.”

“If you left the bandages out, I could do it myself.” Cloud said, walking around the couch to sit as far away as humanly possible from the General. Sephiroth quirked a single brow at him, looking vaguely annoyed. 

“You cannot bandage yourself with one arm.” Cloud didn’t respond, instead looking downwards at his ruined arm. The Nibel Wolf genes were supposed to increase his recovery rate, but seeing himself in the mirror had really put him in perspective. It didn’t matter how fast his body was recovering, with the sort of enemies he was up against he was going to need a lot more than just revitalization. Sephiroth stood up and moved towards the cabinet his television was sitting on to grab something- gauze and antiseptic most likely.  “Both you and your friend require stitches. It would be prudent  of you to seek out professional medical attention sooner or later.”

Cloud let out a shaky breath, refusing to look at Sephiroth. That was just one other thing he couldn’t pay for- one other reason he needed to get employed as soon as possible. The blonde nearly flinched when he felt one of Sephiroth’s cool hands touch his shoulder. 

“Why are your hands so cold?”  Cloud murmured to himself. Sephiroth tilted his head slightly, and Cloud finally realised just how close he had gotten after he had sat down with the gauze. If both of them even leaned forward a little, Cloud would be close enough to... The blonde dipped his head low, embarrassed he had even thought of something like that. 

“I called your name twice.” Sephiroth said, looking at him with something that vaguely looked like concern in his eyes. Sephiroth used a finger to tilt his head back upwards, forcing them to make eye contact. This close, the blonde could see flecks of silver in the green of Sephiroth’s iris- all framed by fluttering silver lashes. It was hard not to stare directly at him considering their proximity. Cloud jerked his head away from Sephiroth’s touch, making the General frown. “I can’t bandage you with your chin to your chest. Anyhow, If the symptoms of your concussion worsen than-”

“Could you get started already?” Cloud said, trying not to so much as breathe on the larger man.

Sephiroth didn’t respond, but his hands finally did start moving. His fingers were cool when they made contact with Cloud’s heated skin, the pull of the gauze tight on his chest. Sephiroth’s hands were gentle despite having worked with weaponry far longer than Cloud had. The blonde knew his own hands were a hard mess of calluses, not that it mattered. Sephiroth’s uncalloused hands were just like every other part of him: pretty, refined, and completely foreign to Cloud. 

The two of them couldn’t be more different people. Sephiroth was everything he wasn't. He had money, strength, and reverence. There were hundreds and thousands of people vying for his attention in so many different ways; Cloud had been one of those people once, when he had been younger. Once before his mom had died, he had seen Sephiroth in the news and hoped to be a hero just like him. 

It was funny how time changed so many things. 

After a moment, Sephiroth’s hands moved lower down his waist, and Cloud instinctively dipped his head again, trembling as he clenched his teeth in pain. He tried to take a deep breath in so Sephiroth didn’t have to see how pathetic he was, but felt a painful cough tear from his throat, forcing the General back. Cloud pulled away himself, hacking into his hand and then his elbow trying hard not to get any blood on the couch. 

“G-go ahead and finish up,” Cloud stuttered after he had finished coughing up half of his lung and more. He had been tempted to wipe the blood on his pants, but when he remembered they weren’t actually his pants, he clenched his palm hoping it wasn’t enough to drip out. 

“Why did you choose this for yourself?” Sephiroth asked, his voice softer than Cloud had ever heard it before. His movements were slower too, more gentle like he was afraid the blonde might start coughing again. His hands felt slightly comforting against the burning of Cloud’s skin, like a reprieve he desperately needed, but could never have.

If Sephiroth was asking Barret, the blonde knew his friend would say something like the planet had chosen him; in Barret’s line of thought, all the person had to do was accept. Nanaki had voiced a similar idea to Cloud once- one of purpose, of meaning. The blonde wasn’t familiar with either idea. For the longest time the only thing he had done was survive. Dreams, purpose, ideals- those were all things Cloud had fantasized about when he had the capacity to. Before his mother had died. Now though, he wasn’t sure what he was doing.

“If I didn't, someone else would’ve.” Cloud whispered, staring out at the window across from the living room. Unlike his bedroom, these windows didn’t have drapes so the full breadth of the Midgar sky could be seen up above. Even in the face of glowing mako and artificial lighting, the stars still seemed to gleam outside, as bright as the future and just as far.

“Cloud! Cloud wake up! Sephiroth keeps trying to take my-” Yuffie watched as Cloud blearily blinked open his large blue eyes to glance up at her leaning over him. She shiftily glanced side to side as if she expected Sephiroth to leap from under the bed. The General of SOLDIER might be twice her size, but she was one hundred percent sure he was capable of anything- kindness and goodness not included.

“Just hand me the materia, Yuffie. He can’t take it from me,” Cloud said, shifting a bit to pull his arm out from under himself. When it finally emerged, Yuffie saw a lot of rumpled cloth and very little actual hand. Sephiroth forcing them to wear his own oversized clothing had to be a part of his ploy of ending their lives and stealing their families. Yuffie absolutely knew it. 

“No, Cloud! That's exactly how he got your dice!” Yuffie exclaimed before putting a hand to her mouth and looking back at the entrance. Cloud opened his eyes a little wider at that, glancing towards his pants, even though his legs were completely covered by the comforter, and then nodded sleepily. 

“I had a feeling he took em’.” 

“So the dice are materia then? In such a condensed form I thought it nearly impossible,” Sephiroth appeared before the threshold of their room silently, a hand to his chin like he was a stupid, self-important detective. Yuffie turned slowly to give him an angry look. “There must be a specific combination of numbers that activates its abilities? Or do different combinations yield different outcomes?”

“You can’t just walk in here whenever you want--!” Yuffie started before Cloud sat up a little, yawning.

“Well, it is his room.”

“--What if I was naked?!” Yuffie looked at Cloud and then Sephiroth, switching her expression between one of disgust to one of complete loathing. After a second she realised she was pretty much making the same face. “Yeah, you’d walk in here and-”

“How do you assume I bandaged your injuries initially?” Sephiroth asked, crossing his arms and jutting out his hip slightly. Up to that point, Yuffie had been generally calm, but this- Sephiroth had crossed a line. A line she was going to make sure was cut into his ugly-pretty face.

“Thats sexual harassment! You- I’m gonna add that to your list of war crimes, you creepy perv! How dare you look at me… And not Cloud too, oh my gods, of course he looked at you, Cloud! He was stalking y-”

“Okay,” Cloud said, though Yuffie could clearly see the glow of sympathy he had towards her plight. Or maybe that was just sleepiness, it was hard to tell. He swung his legs over the bed, and put a hand to his head, wincing slightly. He had hit a few roofs on his way down. Yuffie was honestly thankful all he had was a concussion. She had fully expected brain damage, though maybe she was ruling that out too quickly. “I have a headache. I’d appreciate it if you both tried not to shout.”

“Oh yeah, totally,” Yuffie whispered-agreed, moving to grab one of Cloud's arms to help him stand. When the blonde jerked slightly to the opposite side, Sephiroth rushed forward crossing the distance in less than a second, taking his other arm. Yuffie felt her eyes nearly pop out of her head, but she managed to maintain her whisper. “He doesn’t need your help, I’m helping him!”

“I think I may be slightly stronger than a chipmunk,” Sephiroth remarked, one of his annoyingly long pieces of hair hiding his face from view. It didn’t matter, that wouldn’t stop Yuffie from sending strong waves of quiet, Cloud-safe hate his way. 

“I am a monkey, not a chipmunk.”  she replied, her almond eyes lined with anger. “And you’re the General of Shinra, not Cloud’s friend, so .”

“I can walk on my own,” Cloud said roughly, pulling away from both of them. Yuffie frowned as she watched Cloud stumble away in his pair of too-long pants still seeming a little disoriented. That had definitely been a win in her book, if only Cloud had sided with her. 

That reminded her, she needed to update Tifa on everything. They had called briefly the previous day, but now that Cloud was awake, she’d definitely want to hear from him. Yuffie pulled Sephiroth’s fancy PHS from her pocket and began poking out a message to Tifa.

“When are you planning on returning my PHS?” Sephiroth asked, making his way out of the bedroom and into his sleek, modern kitchen. It was probably to brew more evil concoctions to poison them with. Having still not eaten since the previous day, Yuffie narrowed her eyes and followed after him. She was going to catch him in the act. 

“So long as you're holding us hostage,” Yuffie hummed, plopping onto his leather couch and bringing her knees to her chest. She hated that it was hard to not be comfortable in the SOLDIER’s cush apartment. If not for it being his, she wouldn’t actually have a problem living inside Shinra. Seemed like a good vantage point for their team, anyway. 

“As long as you’re willing to answer my questions honestly, I have no qualms about escorting you out.” Sephiroth replied in an almost agreeable way. He was reaching into his too-tall cabinets grabbing what looked to be two large mugs. 

“What sort of questions?” Yuffie asked, narrowing her eyes and setting his PHS to the side. She was suddenly hit with the strong smell of coffee, and felt her stomach rumble. She sighed feeling miserable down to her very toes and texted an extra line of Shinra hate to Tifa.  

“Who provided you with your materia?” Sephiroth asked, looking over the counter to meet Yuffie’s eyes. She blinked, making eye contact for a painful two and half seconds before glaring down at his PHS, scowling. 

“It’s someone that…Who-”

“Nobody you need to worry about, next question.” Cloud said walking out of Sephiroth’s bedroom his arm crossed. He looked fresh and bright-eyed for once, like he was ready to take on Shinra and the entire world. It made Yuffie feel better just seeing him walking and talking with his usual cool-guy attitude.

“You seem better after a full night’s rest.” Sephiroth voiced aloud, pushing one of the mugs toward the blonde. Unlike Yuffie, Cloud immediately moved forward to receive it, looking the most interested Yuffie had seen him ever.  “I also had breakfast sent up, though it is important to mention your friend refuses to eat any of it. I believe she mentioned thinking it was poisoned-”

“That's ‘cause it is, Cloud-Cloud!” Yuffie cried, standing on the couch to try and stop the blonde from accidentally looking at the stack of buttered pancakes. She had glanced at them briefly and barely restrained herself.

With happy eyes and slightly pink cheeks, Cloud stepped around Sephiroth and cut into the stack of four and took a massive bite, even while Yuffie continued to shout at him. After chewing and swallowing he actually smiled softly to himself, looking nothing like the person Yuffie had grown accustomed to during her stay in Midgar. 

“Wow these are good,” The blonde acknowledged after his third bite, nodding to himself. He took another bite and then seemed to realise Yuffie had fallen over the backside of Sephiroth’s couch looking completely defeated. In between a mouthful of pancake, he scratched the back of his head sheepishly. “If Sephiroth was gonna kill us, he’d use his sword. Poison’s not his style.”

Yuffie had picked herself up before noticing Sephiroth had been watching as intently as she had been, as if the General had really expected Cloud to keel over and die. Or maybe, it was something else entirely. Yuffie leaned over the backside of the couch once again, her eyes wide.

“You seem to know me quite well.” Sephiroth said, his eyes lowering for a moment before flicking back to Cloud’s face in what Yuffie could only describe as somewhat shy. She felt her eyebrows descecnd even faster. Something was not right in this situation. 

“Guess I do,” Cloud said, leaning over his pancakes thoughtfully. Yuffie did a double take before looking between Sephiroth and the blonde’s expressions. She had expected sarcasm, anger, maybe denial, but acceptance ? Cloud let out a dry laugh before shrugging. “Go figure.”

She was trying to figure out when this development happened. When had Cloud become so casual around the General? He was the enemy! Sephiroth looked like he had something he wanted to say, but a sharp knock sounded at the door making Yuffie jump and nearly toss Sephiroth’s PHS into the air. Cloud dropped the bite of pancake he had been about to take very sadly before looking to Sephiroth, distrusting. 

“Sephiroth! You took today off unexpectedly so I came to visit! You are alright in there, aren’t you? I messaged you I’d be over, not that you responded.” It was Genesis's voice, Yuffie would recognize it anywhere after having been sliced up by the man. 

“Hide,” Sephiorth mouthed to them before nearing the door. Neither Yuffie nor Cloud had to be asked twice. After a second of confused movement, they went opposite directions, and then both hastily dashed towards Sephiroth’s bedroom. The fast movement wasn’t good for either of them and after settling themselves in Sephiroth’s massive closet behind a curtain of trench coats, Cloud tilted his head back and sighed. At least he had grabbed the pancakes.

“I told you he was out to get us! I’ve been waiting for an enemy to show up here! And it just had to be that other stupid SOLDIER we saw. The one that cut us up…” Yuffie crossed her arms, her back stinging in memory of her recent injury. 

“You should eat,” Cloud said, pushing the plate into her hands. Yuffie looked up at him, pouting slightly. “If we have to jump out of one of Sephiroth’s windows, you’re gonna need the energy.” 

Yuffie reluctantly took the plate and fork from him before tuning into the conversation between Sephiroth and Genesis.

“Didn’t expect you to take off this morning. We did have a meeting scheduled for 9, not that it was anything important. Just Urban Development telling us to try and be less destructive when we save civilians.” Genesis said in a single breath, the sound of his heeled boots clicking across the laminate. Yuffie would never admit it, but the sound scared her. 

“Did you come over to gossip?” Sephiroth asked rather coldly, both men forgetting - or maybe just ignoring- the basics of normal conversation such as ‘hello’ and ‘how are you?’. “Or was there something you actually needed?”

The sound of Genesis’s steps stopped and they heard a short, fake laugh before silence filled the apartment.

“We are friends, Sephiroth. I can check on you if I deem it necessary.” The red head snorted and Yuffie made a disgruntled face toward Cloud. He gave her a shrug in response. 

“So Angeal sent you?” Sephiroth asked.

“No. Angeal did not- oh my! You know, I brought you a get better present, but if you don’t want me here, I can leave.” Genesis sniffed emphatically, the sound of some bag or item rustling before his clicky-shoes stopped again. “I hope you don’t mind if I borrow your toilet?”

The sound of Genesis’s shoes became louder at an increasingly fast pace before Sephiroth hummed an affirmation. Cloud shared a brief glance at Yuffie, his finger pressed to his lips and glowing eyes wide. Maybe it was best for him to close them. 

“So are you attending the party tomorrow evening? They’re announcing the winner of that dumb little marathon you were so interested in.” Genesis called, the sound of his many belts and zippers clinking as he undid them. 

When had Sephiroth taken any interest in the marathon?

“I forgot such an event was taking place.” Sephiroth murmured, leaning against the frame of his bedroom door. From where Cloud and Yuffie were kneeling, they could just see the General’s bare feet and house-shoes. They had seen Genesis’s too, when he had passed by. “They most likely expect my attendance considering I was the face of their advertisement.”

“I hear Hojo’s announcing something too. Not often that creature climbs out of his lab to breathe fresh air.” The sound of the toilet flushing paused the conversation before red heeled boots came back into view. Genesis must have been standing directly in front of Sephiroth’s closet now. “Any secrets daddy dearest has let you in on? I’ve heard rumors he thinks it's going to save Shinra billi-”

Cloud felt his ears prick upwards, his eyes flashing at Yuffie in silent communication. She turned her head at him slightly, trying to convey her confusion.

“I know nothing of Hojo’s endeavors, Genesis. I do know that today was meant to be somewhat relaxing for me.” Sephiroth cleared his throat before guiding Genesis back towards his front door. Cloud almost wished the red-head would stay longer so he could get more details. If Hojo was planning something, they needed to be in on it. “Have a good day, Genesis. I appreciate your package.”

The sound of the door opening was brief, but rushed conversation could still be heard as Yuffie poked her head between his clothes. 

“We’ve got to attend this party,” Cloud whispered to her, taking a hold of Sephiroth’s PHS. His fingers were typing Tifa’s number as he spoke. “We’re already here at Shinra. Getting in will be a cinch.”

“But the moment Sephiroth or Genesis recognizes us, we’ll be dead meat!” Yuffie said, kicking out her legs in frustration. Cloud nodded to himself sternly. 

“Then we can’t be recognized.”

Chapter Text

About twenty-five phone calls, and a practically sleepless night later, Cloud was just about through with Sephiroth and Shinra’s godsdamned party. He had practically watched Sephiroth get ready for the entire thing, from showering, to asking for help with his million gil cuff-links, and even to the make-up he was applying. Apparently, winged eyeliner was ‘Shinra-standard’ and dusty rose lip tint was what everyone expected from him. But that wasn’t even the terrible part- the really bad part of this was that Cloud couldn’t do anything about anything . He couldn’t further his plans with Tifa and Cid, he couldn’t discuss things with Yuffie- she was terrible at being discreet- and he definitely couldn’t let Sephiroth even get an inkling he was thinking about attending himself. He couldn’t even ask to use his computer. All he could do was wait for him to leave. 

Cloud wanted to groan, one and a half days living with Sephiroth and he was ready to go crazy. At least he had managed to get his dice back. That had been an ordeal he did not want to recall ever again.

“I don’t believe I need to tell you this, but this event is quite large. There will be many people attending which would provide an easy-”

“Yes. Thank you, we got it.” Cloud nodded, sitting up, regretting it and then falling back on his couch miserably. The Nibel wolf genes were not healing him anywhere near quickly enough. Wait- had Sephiroth been trying to tell him to leave while Shinra was distracted with the party? Cloud looked up again, a question in his light eyes.

Sephiroth blinked back, slightly bemused before Yuffie actually pushed him towards his own door, angry.

“Can you leave already? We’re, like, totally over the CEO-look, okay?” She tapped her foot before walking around Sephiroth, opening the door and pushing him over the threshold. His eyebrows were high on his forehead when Yuffie proceeded to slam the door shut on his face. “Okay! That’s done!” 

“About time too, I was worried he was going to mess with his hair again and make us behind on our plans!” Cait Sith exclaimed, popping through one of the vents and flipping onto Sephiroth’s counter. Cloud nearly smiled. “I’ve already given your friends their invitation, all you two need to do is get into Scarlet’s room and figure out where Hojo’s meeting is taking place!”

“Good to see you, Cait.” He said, looking at the small animatronic fondly. Part of him wanted to bend down and give him a pat or two, but he didn’t want to make things awkward. It was Reeve he was talking to afterall, and Cloud had never wanted to pat Reeve’s head.  “We really owe it to you this time around.”

“Are you becoming nicer?” Yuffie asked, dashing towards the couch before picking Cait up like he was a stuffed doll. He tilted his head before his tail twitched. “He’s becoming nicer, isn’t he?”

“I just appreciate being alive,” Cloud muttered, turning away as his thoughts drifted to those who weren’t as lucky. But he probably didn’t need to tell that to Reeve or Yuffie. They probably already had understood how precious their lives were in this line of work. 

“A swell thing to appreciate, isn’t it?” Cait Sith replied, nodding to himself before he shook his head and held out a gloved paw. A familiar lanyard with a keycard dangled somewhat harmlessly. After grabbing ahold of the item, the small cat reached again into his cape, pulling out another pair of tiny, black earbuds. “But onto our very important mission- you’ll be needing these. Everyone involved is wired up, and that means you two too . He he.”

Both Cloud and Yuffie took the earbuds and placed it in their ears, surprised to find silence on the other side. It wasn’t often his friends were quiet, but that probably meant they were focused- just like they needed to be. 

“Who can hear me?!” Yuffie shouted and Cloud actually winced out of the ear he didn’t have a bud in. Leave it to Yuffie to not even need a microphone to make him go nearly deaf. 

“If you want to speak to someone just press the back of your earbud until you hear a click. That’ll mean your earbud is picking up audio, but be warned it's very sensitive technology so if there's any surrounding noise, it will pick it up.” Cait explained, looking between them for questions. Cloud pressed against his earbud lightly, glad to finally be able to speak to Tifa without risk of having Sephiroth or Shinra listening over his shoulder.

“Tifa, whenever you’ve left for Shinra, let me know. We’re headed to floor 69, but we’ll see each other soon.”

Nanaki felt his ear twitch as the low sound of Cloud’s voice came through the earbud that had been securely wrapped around his ear. While it didn’t exactly fit in his ear canal, it was close enough to appear hidden and still include him in what was sure to be an important conversation. The only thing he wasn’t sure about was why he had been chosen to attend the party and in a service-dog vest no less. Cloud had been insistent that it was people that hadn’t interacted with Sephiroth, Shinra, or any SOLDIERs. And while Nanaki had certainly never spoken to Sephiorth, he didn’t think that made his appearance any less conspicuous.

“Tifa, whenever you’ve left for Shinra, let me know. We’re headed to floor 69, but we’ll see each other soon.” 

“Damn, first time we hear from ya since ya nearly died on us, and it's back to work already?” Cid laughed, kicking his recently polished shoes up onto the dashboard of Barret’s truck. Nanaki didn’t exactly understand what was funny about that particular statement, and apparently neither did Tifa. “It's good to see yer still kickin’ Wolf-boy!”

“Cid, tell him I’m driving. And be nice!” Tifa ordered, making a sharp turn that forced the blonde man to hastily pull his seatbelt over his chest. Nanaki slid across the back seat with a thump despite his best efforts to stay seated. “He had a concussion, you know? He was really hurt!”

“Keep calling me that, and I’ll do more than kicking, I could make a terrible nickname for you too,” Cloud replied, sounding vaguely annoyed. “Have you told anyone about that conversation you had with Sephiroth in the bathroom?”

Suddenly a higher pitched voice squeaked from nearby Cloud- Yuffie, by the sound of it. 

“What happened? I haven’t heard about that before!”

“She’s drivin’,” Cid muttered, suddenly quiet. When Tifa hastily pulled into a parking spot, the force of the maneuver nearly sent Nanaki into the front seat. Had Cid not put on his seatbelt, the cat was sure he would have gone through the windshield. “But we can’t talk now, we’ve got a party to crash or somethin’.”

Nanaki hopped out of the back seat and stretched his paws out, his tail flicking as Cid made slow motions to stumble out of the truck himself. Tifa was at his side instantly, the fancy dress she was wearing shimmering in the lowlight. He wasn't sure what was in style for humans, but trying to escape in a dress that trailed after her like that seemed dangerous.

When Cid finally made it out, his white suit seemed only a little creased, and while he did appear better than his usual gruff appearance, his usual slur of curses were still accompanying him. They took a few, cautious steps toward the building before Nanaki stopped. It looked like a stream of ants were crawling through the glowing entrance, and the air buzzed with the muted sound of string music and conversation. Cloud hadn't been exaggerating when he mentioned the event was going to be big.

“Shouldn’t one of you take my leash?” Nanaki asked as they entered the line for entry. They were surrounded by fancy looking folk from all over Midgar, riches bleeding off the guests in the form of jewels and clothes. The different smells were nearly headache-inducing, but Nanaki kept his nose down and eye forward. 

Cid hastily grabbed ahold of the leash with a grunt and approached the two men who were taking invitations. 

“Name and invitation?” The door guard asked, the bright screen of his PHS reflecting off of his dark shades. Nanaki wondered how much of the evening he could actually see wearing such dark glasses. He held out a gloved hand. 

“My wife’s Pearla, and I’m June. June Johnson.” Cid sucked in his lips, took in a massive breath of air, and then reached deep into his suit pocket and shoved the crumpled invitations into the man’s hand. Tifa coughed once behind her hand, her eyes a fraction wider then they had been. 

“Please go ahead Mr. and Mrs. Johnson,” The man said after a moment, bowing and directing them inwards. Nanaki trotted in after them, his golden eye wide. Never in his entire life had he ever seen such wealth, nor had he ever witnessed such excess. 

Shinra had been completely transformed since the last time he had been captured. Nanaki had been in Shinra before, the laboratory specifically, but this- this was beyond his comprehension. Golden lights hung from the ceiling, carved and set to look like a trail of glittering flowers. There was also so much food, too much even: quail, condor, chocobo- he could smell the meat, could see its dripping juices from across the banquet hall. That wasn’t even mentioning the towers of cheese, or alcohol being served on every waiter’s tray. Seeing such opulence, Nanaki almost couldn't believe people were starving just a train ride away, he couldn’t believe Cloud was about to be one of those people. 

Cid and Tifa had stopped as well, momentarily frozen in the midst of it all. Nanaki nudged Tifa’s leg after a second. Cid looked down at him before she did.

“We shouldn’t linger near the entrance. There are too many eyes here.” 

“Damn right,” He said after a delay. For once he didn’t seem his usual silly self; he looked uncharacteristically self-conscious, perhaps even nervous. 

“I, uhm,” Tifa tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear, revealing a simple white earring. “Maybe we should grab something to eat while we wait for Cloud’s signal. Marlene will probably expect me to bring something back for her.”

Nanaki felt his ear twitch as a half broken line of dialogue cut through Tifa’s statement.

“-I’m gonna punch her square in the nose, like- *bam*-!”

“When we get to Scarlet’s room, I’m gonna punch her square in the nose, like *bam*-!” 

“Yuffie, you’re pressing the earbud,” Cloud said, and for once the younger girl actually stopped, dropping her hand back to her side. They had luckily found the elevator vacant, and with Cait Sith’s lanyard, were currently making their way to Shinra’s Executive Suite. That was where Scarlet had a private office. “And anyway, she’s not gonna be in there. We’re going there now because she’s not in there.” 

The elevator suddenly came to a slow stop, just two floors before their stop. Cloud slipped the pair of glasses he had stolen from Sephiroth onto his face and pretended to look down. A tall dark haired man entered the elevator, wearing a very familiar dark suit. Taking a brief look at his face didn’t remind Cloud of where he might have seen him though the apparent lack of a smell seemed familiar. 

“Floor B3, please.” He said, pausing a moment to pull away from his phone call. Cloud hastily looked at the list of numbers, realised such a room didn’t exist, and then found a list of lettered entries beneath floor one. He pressed B3 tentatively.

After a second, Yuffie nudged him with her sharp pointy elbows, her bright eyes blinking rapidly while she clearly failed to maintain any semblance of normalcy. The man she seemed to be exclaiming about didn’t seem to notice, engrossed in his call as he was, but Cloud was pretty sure she was about to explode and possibly break one of the glass walls of the elevator.

Before he could inquire, the man snapped his PHS shut and cleared his throat. Cloud felt his eyes flash to the floor they were currently on: 67. They were so close.

“Have we met before?” The turk- that was what he had to be- inquired, his dark eyes freely roving over Cloud’s and then Yuffie’s face. His hand went to his hip, and Cloud had zero idea what weapon he was about to pull out, but his arm moved before his thoughts did. Taking Yuffie’s earlier advice, he slammed a hard fist into the man’s nose and watched him stagger backwards, clearly injured. “You’re-”

“Get him while he’s down!” Yuffie roared, grabbing ahold of the lapels of his shirt before going completely ballistic on him. She slashed, slammed, and beat him so hard Cloud thought he saw the glass crack behind him. When the elevator finally dinged, notifying them of their release, Cloud hastily slammed as many buttons as he could before pulling Yuffie and hightailing it out of the confined space. The turk didn’t so much as move after Yuffie's mad assault; with how many buttons Cloud had pressed, he was going to remain that way for a while. “Yeah, I dare you to try and look at us the wrong way again!”

“That went, uh,” Cloud nearly tripped over himself as he walked, the lavish red carpeted hallway devoid of people. This party was working to their advantage, it almost felt too good to be true. After a second longer of pulling Yuffie, the girl bounded to Scarlet’s room, the handy keycard buzzing before the lock in the door clicked. “Better than it could have.”

“Oh yeah it did!” Yuffie responded, plowing into the room, her adrenaline still clearly pumping. Cloud barely had a chance to grab the back of Sephiroth’s oversized hoodie, and stop her from going any further. 

”Wait,” The blonde hissed, putting a finger to his earbud. “Cait, are the cameras looped? Are we safe to enter?”

Tifa rubbed her arm, feeling very out of place. Even having rented outfits, both she and Cid looked slightly out of place beside Midgar’s richest socialites. It wasn’t the clothes, or even the stares that made her feel out of place, it was the sheer wealth of it all. Some of the things she was seeing didn’t even exist under the plate. Cars deploying wine at the click of a button, butler robots designed to raise kids- it was preposterous, even for Shinra.

“Pearla, was it? You look so pretty!” Aerith exclaimed, pulling Tifa out of her thoughts. Her hair was done up in curls, tiny white flowers placed like a crown amidst the waves of brown. Zack followed behind her, looking bright and handsome in his suit and pink tie. They matched perfectly together. More than their outfits, Tifa was surprised they had been able to find each other in the mass of people. It wasn't very likely based on chance alone.

“Enjoying the event?” Zack scratched his spikes before looking sheepish and grinning. His suit looked a little tight on his shoulders, like maybe he had outgrown it. “It's pretty stuffy, but the food’s at least good, right?”

“It's fine,” Nanaki said, sitting before the couple. Both Zack and Aerith leaned down to pet him, and this time the feline let them. “Though I’ve grown accustomed to home-cooked meals.”

Zack nodded, folding his sleeves up as Cid spit out something on his plate looking horrified.

“Oh yeah, that's got to be a high bar to cross,” Zack agreed, grabbing a passing glass of champagne and downing it in one go. He pursed his lips for a second, his foot tapping to the soft sound of music . 

“This ain’t actually chocobo, is it?” Cid asked, a horrified look crossing his face as Nanaki lowered his head to snicker. Tifa put a hand to her mouth, looking away. It was commonly known that chocobo was a delicacy in upper-class settings, fortunately for Cid he was from Rocket Town, a place that had no such concept. In this situation, his blissful ignorance had gotten him a mouthful of chocobo. 

“Zackary, dear,” A red-haired man called, appearing directly behind Zack’s shoulder. It took Tifa a second, but after a moment she recognized him as Genesis, one of the first class. She hadn’t forgotten the fact he had beaten Cloud, and now stabbing Yuffie had been added to his tracklist. Genesis looked around Zack to glance at them like they were nothing, before wiggling his fingers and stepping fully around him to give a tight smile. “I didn’t know you knew anyone but the SOLDIERs from these events. Introduce me.”

Zack’s mouth fell open for a second and he blinked before Aerith stepped up, smiling. Tifa could see the strain in the twitch of her brow.

“These are my friends, they used to live in Sector 5 with me, but ended up moving to the plate after getting promoted in Shinra.” Zack seemed to regain himself after that, his arm wrapping around Aerith’s thin shoulders. 

“Is that a service animal?” Genesis asked, stepping forward to look at Cid’s shades, and then down at Nanaki. He wrinkled his nose, flicking a red bang of hair from his face. “It only has one eye, how is that effective-”

“O-kay,” Zack said, releasing Aerith and pulling Genesis away. The red-haired man didn’t seem to realise his own discourtesy, and allowed Zack to remove him, unbothered. “Do you really have to ask something like that?”

“Angeal and I saved you a seat. That's all I really wanted to say,” Genesis said, removing himself from Zack’s hold and dusting off the place he had been grabbed. His red suit was nearly pristine, but for some reason he smoothed it a second after, self-consciously. “They’re under-platers, what offense could they take? Just talking to me is probably a gift in and of itself.”

“I’m sitting with Aerith.” Zack grumbled, watching Genesis shrug and weave through the crowds towards the front. Suddenly, the lights lowered and the chatter lowered alongside it, leaving only a buzz of conversation to remain. Even the music came to a slow stop, and an eye-catching figure finally stepped through the crimson curtains, small amidst the massive swinging curtains, and bright light arrangements. It was Reeve, looking polished and handsome.

“I’d like to thank and welcome everyone to Shinra’s celebratory gala. It is a pleasure to see all of you here today, and it was an even greater pleasure seeing how high the turnout for Running for Midgar was. ” A chorus of applause sounded, and Zack looked forlornly at Cid who had moved to cross his arms. They were standing a good distance away from the stage, but they could all clearly see what was going on. Reeve continued to speak, but Zack tuned into Cloud’s voice in his earbud. 

“Cait, are the cameras looped? Are we safe to enter?”

Tifa’s eyes widened, and she gripped the purse she had been holding her knuckles nearly turning white. Aerith moved to step beside her, a gentle hand resting on Tifa’s exposed shoulder. 

“They’ve got it, don’t you worry. As soon as they get the info, they’ll meet us down here and we’ll be back together again.” She rubbed her thumb a second time before smiling. 

“I just don’t want them to get hurt again. I wasn’t even able to protect him last time-” Tifa started, but Nanaki quickly moved to nuzzle her leg, Cid placing a firm hand on her other shoulder.

“We’re all leavin’ here tonight, don’t you doubt that for one second.” Cid grinned, his plate now filled with beef. 

“And without further ado, I’ll announce the winner of Running for Midgar,” Reeve said, drawing out the last syllable of the fundraiser’s name. A brief drumming sounded from the live orchestra, before the director tore the envelope open. “And the reward of five hundred thousand gil goes to… Reno Sinclair!”

The sound of applause and cheering echoed around the vast room, and a single thin man made his way to the stage, grinning and waving wildly. From where they stood, the only thing Zack really could see was the artificial red colour of his hair.  

“Who the hell…?” Cid asked, shaking his head and looking between Tifa and Aerith. All four pairs of eyes turned to Zack in question. 

“A turk,” He muttered, shaking his head. He had expected Shinra to keep money within their own ranks, but having seen Cloud so excited for something had made him hope that maybe things would end up differently. It didn’t just leave a bad taste in his mouth either, it made his badge as a SOLDIER weigh heavier in his pocket. Why did Shinra always have to be so stuck up? 

When Zack looked up again, Reeve was pushing the microphone towards Reno.

“Yo, I’m so happy to have won this money,” Reno paused, his angular eyes sweeping over the audience, as if he was seeking someone out. His light eyes paused for a second before he continued, his grin even more forced. “I’m finally gonna be able to buy my partner that dinner he’s been waitin’ for so thanks Shinra!”

Another round of applause started, but Zack only saw Aerith, her eyes dark and fists clenched.

It took a second before Cait Sith’s chipper voice sounded over the microphone, crackly and softer than it usually was. 

“Try to be in and out in an hour, any longer is too risky.” He paused for a second, before speaking again. “I'll be heading up soon!”

“Cloud, this is our chance,” Yuffie said, her hands moving through the ten-thousand red pieces of clothing Scarlet had managed to shove in her office closet. For having an entire floor for weapon development, Cloud had been shocked that her ‘office’ on the 69th floor consisted of a miniature penthouse; it even had a view spanning across Midgar. “We just put one of these dresses on and walk out through the front entrance. Nobody’s gonna have any idea!”

Cloud glanced over at Cait Sith who was typing hurriedly on Scarlet’s computer. As the head of Weapon’s Development, Reeve had been almost positive she would be invited to Hojo’s special meeting- and hoped the invitation would be communicated via email. Cloud could see it was hopeful thinking, but figured it was all they had to go off of. With Sephiroth and Rufus on their tail, they needed an edge.

“I won’t fit into any of that,” he responded numbly, realising that Yuffie was right. He couldn’t walk down into the party wearing an oversized sweater and pants, he would stick out like a sore thumb. It wasn’t like he could have ‘borrowed’ Sephiroth’s formal clothing either, they were practically on different dimensions regarding their clothes sizes. “But that's good thinking. Look for something you can wear-”

His ears pricked forward as he caught the sound of something familiar, a clicking sound. Cloud blinked for a second, realising it was the sound of the door. Someone else had an access card to unlock Scarlet’s door.

“Yuffie, hide!” Cloud ordered, dashing and sweeping Cait from the leather swivel chair he had been typing in. The cat exclaimed a bit before clutching onto Cloud’s neck and pointing behind him.

“Hide under the desk, Cloudy- uh, I mean-” Cloud clasped a hand over the cat’s mouth, his eyes wide and head throbbing. The door swung open nearly the same second, the sound of footsteps nearly thumping against the lush carpet. 

“Where the hell’d she say the injections were?”

The voice was deep and guttural, followed by four pairs of worn shoes and ripped jeans. Cloud couldn’t see any higher, but he was positive they weren't people from the upper-plate. He had lived in Midgar long enough to recognize under-plate gangsters; the only question that followed was why they were here of all places, and how they had gotten ahold of a Shinra keycard. Midgar had a separate finance division that was probably a lot easier to enter and a lot more profitable to steal from. 

“The Don said that bitch left the injections in her office desk.” Another man answered, pausing and sniffing the air before approaching the desk that Cloud and Cait Sith were stashed underneath. The blonde held his breath, and felt the animatronic cat cling tighter to his throat. There was no way Reeve had actually programmed Cait to feel fear, right?

Suddenly a high-pitched ringtone sounded from the closet and Cloud actually lowered his head, nearly pressing against Cait Sith’s fuzzy tummy. He raised his head once he realised the embarrassing proximity and swallowed. 

“The hell-?”

Without waiting, Cloud grabbed the pair of legs in front of him and brought the gangster to his back with a grunt. His head hit the ground hard, but noiselessly. Cloud quickly followed it up with a solid punch to his temples to make sure he wouldn’t be waking anytime soon. They only needed one goon to talk to. By the time the blonde had crawled around the desk and got back to his feet, the other gangster had made his way to Scarlet’s endless closet. It would take him a minute to find Yuffie, that the blonde was sure of. 

“There somebody else here-?”

“Sure is,” Cloud responded fearlessly behind him. On cue with his words, Yuffie leaped down from the ceiling and landed on the man’s shoulders, causing him to fall to his knees and drop his weapon in shock. Cait Sith finally released Cloud’s neck and dashed over to retrieve the crow bar, smacking it a few times in his gloved hands before smacking the man’s head somewhat comically.

“We’ve got questions for you.” The cat said, his usual smiling face looking a little nefarious while he held the weapon. “In exchange for your life of course.”

“I-I’ll talk!” The man exclaimed, shaking underneath Yuffie’s weight, and Cait’s terrifying gaze. “Anything! I swear!”

“What are you doing here?” Yuffie asked before Cloud could even think to ask something. Between her and Cait, this interrogation was probably going to go fast.

“The D-don sent me. F-f-from Sector 6! I was just supposed to pick up some injections or something-! I swear!”

"What do these injections do exactly?” Cloud asked, placing his good hand on his hip. He would usually cross his arms, but he wasn’t using his right arm for the time being. “Why does the Don want them?”

“They make the uh, the girls more- uh, they make the Don’s girls listen . I don’t know what they’re supposed to do, but the Don has us take detailed notes about everything and send em’ back to Shinra.”

Cait Sith dropped his crowbar then, his usually happy expression distraught. 

“How long has this been going on for?”

“Bout’ a year and some.” The man stuttered, looking at them with wild eyes. Cloud lowered his head, drawing his good hand down his face.

“W-what does that mean?” Yuffie asked, looking between Cait and Cloud, her dark eyebrows drawn together. “What’re the injections doing?”

“Did Scarlet mention where these injections are coming from?” Cloud asked, not wholly expecting an answer. The man shook his head emphatically and Yuffie grabbed some of his hair to look in his face. 

“Where are the injections?”

“The desk,” Cloud responded, motioning Cait over to search for the missing item. The cat nodded in a serious fashion and dashed over. “Knock him out, things are getting serious.”

Before the man could protest, Yuffie had brought a strong fist down on his head and rolled his body underneath some of Scarlet’s longer dresses. She could deal with him whenever he woke up. Cloud had already put a finger to his ear bud, his voice low. 

“We’re heading down. Prepare to leave.”

With the sudden announcement, the earbud exploded with voices and questions. Cloud and Cait did their best to explain with everyone tripping over one another to be heard, all while the blonde struggled to pull the largest of Scarlet’s dresses over his transformed head. Paired with the long hair, he guessed he looked close enough to passable. He smoothed the trailing skirt, more than a little disconcerted.

“I think you need makeup, your face is like- too manly.” Yuffie paused, her hand going to her chin. “I mean, like, it’ll be quick. You already kind of have a soft-ish face.”

Before Cloud could protest, Yuffie had sat him down in front of Scarlet’s offensively large vanity, and pulled out a stick of scarlet lipstick. It was almost ridiculous. 

“I’ve found them!” Cait announced, a sack of clinking injections in his gloved hands. Cloud immediately turned to look, only to have Yuffie grab his chin and force him to look forward. “I’ll be taking these back to the office right away, but you two make sure and tell me when you’ve arrived safely downstairs!” 

“Are we gonna assume this is related to Hojo?” Cloud asked, trying to move as little as possible so as not to disturb Yuffie’s concentration. Cait stopped for a moment, pausing in front of the vanity, although he was too short to catch his own reflection. “Or should we keep searching for the meeting place?”

“I’m not sure, but the meeting place wasn’t included in any emails… You’d have to look blindly if you wanted to attend.” Cait Sith murmured, his eyes downcast. Cloud nodded once, receiving a light smack from Yuffie. While these injections were one thing, Hojo could have his own world domination project occurring at the exact same time. 

Suddenly, the PHS that had rung earlier, rang again, pulling the blonde from his thoughts. Cloud wasn't sure where Yuffie had gotten it from, but the caller's contact currently read, ‘Rufus Shinra’. He nearly choked. 

“Was this that Turk's?” When Yuffie nodded Cloud actually felt his lips curve upward despite the bad news. “Are you gonna answer?”

Yuffie didn’t answer Cloud, but she hastily flipped the phone open and listened, her brown eyes glittering with mirth. 

“Tseng, the damned President won't give me clearance to attend that meeting with Professor Hojo. And apparently, Reno just signed a contract for a new car. I need you on the first floor. Now . That five hundred thousand is mine .” Yuffie's eyebrows lifted upwards, a mischievous grin pulling at her lips. Cloud only felt his eyebrows raise further on his forehead. “Tseng, are you hearing me? That's an order.”

“This is Tseng's girlfriend,” Yuffie responded in a diminutive voice, wrapping a scarlet ribbon around Cloud’s ears to cover them. The blonde covered his face with his hand, biting his lip to keep from snickering. 

“Excuse me ? Tseng and I are- he’s never mentioned-” Rufus stuttered, managing to sound like an obnoxious little princess even despite the fact he couldn’t voice a full sentence. “Who is this? Elena?”

Yuffie laughed loudly before snapping the PHS in two and dashing towards the toilet. Cloud didn’t need to follow her to hear the sound of the toilet flushing. That erased that piece of evidence, though Scarlet’s toilet was sure to need a hell of a plumber after this.

“Okay so back to your makeover-”

“That’ll be good enough. I don’t wanna stay here any longer than we have to.” Cloud said, letting Yuffie turn him from cheek to cheek and examine him with narrowed, judgemental eyes.

“Well, whatever. You look like a broad-shouldered beauty now anyway.” She shrugged, rolling her eyes and lifting the hem of her long dress to dash towards the entrance. Both of their dresses were crimson red, but they couldn’t have been more different in design. Yuffie’s dress was somewhat fitted, with a large slit down the leg and no sleeves to speak of. The only dress Cloud had been able to fit into was tight around the legs, with a large slit down the centre and small drooping sleeves- the slit was the only reason he had actually been able to fit. He was a generally slim person, but even his shoulders had been too broad to fit into most of Scarlet’s attire. “You’re welcome.”

“I’ll thank you once we're out of this hell hole,” Cloud sighed, struggling to walk towards the door. Yuffie watched him, giggling for a second before nodding resolutely. 

“I’ll be counting on it!”

Cloud had been afraid the turk they had initially beat would still be enduring the eternal elevator ride through Shinnra’s numerous floors, but upon calling the lift he thankfully noted it was empty. They would be making it down without further complications. After everything, they both stood silently as the elevator descended. Cloud refused to look at his reflection in the glass, his pride hurting more than he would admit to another living person. There was also the fact that everything was bound to change, now that Sephiroth had found out, Cloud wasn't sure how things would go.

 Yuffie on the other hand was humming to herself, looking pleased- most likely due to their successful mission. Cloud wouldn’t attribute her good mood to anything else. He put a gloved finger to his earbud.

“We’re heading to the first floor now.”

“Should you practise a higher-pitched voice-?” Yuffie began to ask as the elevator door slid open, revealing the glamor of one of Shinra’s richest parties. Cloud stepped out into the bustle, nearly regretting it as the happy red-haired turk that had beat them previously walked by, laughing and grinning. He was holding a massive written check that read five hundred thousand gil. Cloud glowered, holding Yuffie’s shoulder as she raised her fists.

“That ugly bastard- He’s the one that won, are you kidding me?! He didn't even run!”

A few other guests looked their way, noses upturned and pinky’s lifted, but Cloud just pushed through the crowd, his eyes seeking a familiar face. Like a moth drawn to a flame, the blonde found his eyes meeting a familiar green pair, half-way across the room. He swallowed suddenly, his mouth dry.

Sephiroth had his hair teased to one side, artfully exposing a pale ear and a dangling gold earring. It was impossible to not notice how well-fitted his pitch black suit was, made to accentuate the lean but strong curve of his back; the matching pair of dark slacks, tight in all the proper places. Cloud had seen him leave previously, he didn’t know what had caught him now, making him stand with wide eyes and an open mouth.

“Cloud? Hello?” Yuffie waved a hand in front of his face before seeing something behind him. “Ohmygods, they have free food here, I’m starving! I’ll be right back, I swear!” 

Without waiting for him to follow, the young girl dashed past him and into the crowd, disappearing as soon as she entered the mass. Cloud just stared after her, feeling very out of place. He glanced around himself somewhat nervously before putting a gloved finger to his earpiece again. With his long hair and borrowed earrings, he was sure it only looked like he was messing with his hair or jewelry. 

“Where are you guys? I’m-” Cloud glanced around for anything distinct, and noticed he had made quite some distance from the elevator. He had unconsciously traveled toward the entrance of Shinra, and was now lingering awkwardly in the entry hall. There were fewer people here, but in an event this crowded that still meant at least a hundred people around.  A guard at the door looked Cloud up and down in an uncomfortable way before his eyes widened and he did a full one-eighty, refusing to even look in the blonde’s direction. “I’m by the exit.”

“Do I know you from somewhere?” A deep voice inquired behind him, and Cloud being the idiot he was, turned to stare Sephiroth of all people in the face, a strand of silver hair nearly tickling his chin as the SOLDIER examined him. It only took a second for his kohl-lined eyes to widen. “Cloud-”

 “I uh,” Cloud immediately looked down to stare at the copious amounts of red silk the bottom of his dress had. The very last person he had wanted to see was Sephiroth, and dressed like this… The blonde sighed, shaking his head. He would never live it down. 

“We're by the champagne tower, the one across from the stage?” Zack said through the earbud, his voice momentarily distracting the blonde. For some reason, that didn’t make it any easier for Cloud to tear his eyes away from Sephiroth’s dark lashes, or from his lush mouth. What the hell? “Can you see us, Spike? Need somebody to come find you?”

“You told us to leave yourself,” Cloud muttered, somewhat defensively, pulling at his gloves so he had something to do with his hands as he tried to distract himself. Unfortunately, that still didn’t give him anywhere to distract his eyes with.

“Where did you get that… attire from?” Sephiroth inquired, a sudden sort of smugness pulling at his lips. He looked Cloud up and down unabashedly, his eyes only stopping to rest on his lips. Right when he looked like he was going to fully smirk, his eyes widened- the eyeliner making him look like a shocked cat. “Is that from Sc-”

Cloud hastily put his gloved hands over the General’s mouth, glancing left and right nervously. After a couple eyed him like he was a maniac, he dropped his hands, taking a deep breath, and leaned against a nearby wall. Breathing still hurt a little and he wasn’t sure when he would get a chance for a break again. Cloud blinked suddenly, an idea flickering to life in his desperate mind.

“That meeting Genesis mentioned yesterday,” Cloud said, his voice low enough to go nearly unheard. With enhanced hearing, there was no way Sephiroth could have missed it. The General’s eyes gleamed, the gold light kissing his skin and making his complexion appear warm and flushed. Or maybe he had just had too much alcohol. “Do you know where it's happening?”

“Assuming I did know the location, why would I share it with you?” Sephiroth asked, his head slightly tilted. His gold earring nearly got submerged in the loose strands of silver hair that he had tossed haphazardly over his shoulder, the silver spilling onto his black suit like moonlight. 

It was probably very inconvenient having hair that long. 

“I…” Cloud looked down, his thoughts swirling in his head. He had to give to gain. With Yuffie’s life no longer on the line, he could technically barter whatever information he saw fit. Forgetting the work the younger girl had put into his makeup, Cloud bit his lip and looked upwards, determined. “I’ll tell you anything you want to know about Rufus Shinra.”

Sephiroth lowered his head in a nod, his eyes creasing slightly as he smirked again, looking very self-satisfied. It made Cloud want to roll his eyes and walk away, but he steeled himself. 

“Deal.”

Chapter Text

Cloud stopped staring at Sephiroth when he noticed a familiar scent catch his nose- sweet, and sugary, almost like vanilla. The blonde didn’t have to look far over the General’s shoulder, he knew by scent alone Tifa was somewhere nearby. After a second, he caught sight of her poking around the entrance, a gown of glittering purple trailing after her. 

“Tif-” Cloud had barely spoken her name, when she turned around of her own accord, making eye contact with him before running forward. Her hair had been swept up in a pleated braid, a few loose waves framing her delicate face. Cloud wasn’t sure how to describe the warm feeling that suddenly expanded in his chest, but seeing her made him feel like everything would be okay. It made him feel safe. 

“Cloud!” Tifa exclaimed, completely missing the fact Sephiroth was standing nearby and embracing him. Cloud didn’t have the heart to even mention it. His arms closed around her without a thought, her presence like a weight off his chest. She clutched at the front of his dress, her voice breaking slightly. “I was so worried, I thought- I really thought-”

“I messed up.” Cloud whispered, leaning into her shoulder. It wasn’t easy for him to admit that aloud, but he owed it to Tifa, to Yuffie- to all of his friends, really. He had put them all in jeopardy, and just for a few hundred thousand gil. Compared to this, none of it was worth it. Even if they still really needed it. “I’m sorry.”

“We’re just glad to have you back.” Nanaki murmured, nuzzling against his leg, familiar and warm. Cloud looked down, a small smile pulling at his lips. Cid’s rough hand came down on his shoulder not a minute after, strong and reassuring like the man himself. 

“Don’t wanna be the one to ruin all this, but somebody’s gotta mention the dress, or are we pretendin’ we aren’t seein’ it?” Cid laughed and for once Cloud laughed too, at how ridiculous the situation seemed to be; at how happy he felt just being surrounded by the people he cared about. 

“It was just the easiest option at the time,” Cloud muttered, shaking his head. He could feel heat coming to his cheeks, especially because he couldn’t forget the fact General Sephiroth of all people was standing nearby, watching all of this. “But-”

“And who is this pretty lady?” Aerith exclaimed, taking his hands and spinning him around. Cloud only went with the motion because he could hardly deny Aerith of anything, much to his own embarrassment. “Oh my gods, can I have your number?”

“Whoa whoa whoa-” Zack started, his arm swinging around Cloud’s neck familiarly. The blonde nearly leaned into the touch despite himself. Zack grinned, ruffling his hair before winking and sweeping him aside. “I’ve got dibs!”

Sephiroth suddenly cleared his throat, and all of Cloud’s friends stopped, taking a defensive step toward the blonde. It was a little late to notice him, considering how tall and striking his appearance was.

“The meeting is to take place in under thirty minutes. If you wish to attend we should begin to make our way there.” Sephiroth said calmly, his eyes glued to Cloud’s. 

“Which-” Cid started

“The one , old man! Your memory is terrible!” Yuffie cried, a plate filled to the brim with fancy, exotic foods piled high.  When she caught sight of Sephiroth she groaned, rolling her eyes. “Not him again. I thought we were supposed to be undercover!”

Cloud took a step in front of Sephiroth, attempting to meet each of his friends’ eyes. 

“He’s our ticket to the meeting. You guys wait here. I’ll report back-”

“Cloud,” Tifa said, shaking her head. From the look in her eyes alone, he knew she was about to deny him. “After everything, you’re really thinking about going alone? Again ?”

“Okay,” Cloud started amiably. He thought about glancing at Sephiroth over his shoulder, but decided against it at the last second. “You can come too.”

“Why can’t we all go?” Zack asked, gaining a cheer from Yuffie and a grunt of an affirmation from Cid. 

“If three people isn’t obvious enough, eight will definitely catch the attention of the entire meeting.” Sephiroth deadpanned, crossing his arms. Cloud felt like that comment deserved at least one laugh, but his friend’s stony faces told him that it was a very serious moment. Nanaki let out a small huff. “If this discussion is over, it's about time we began heading to the meeting.”

Without wasting another breath, Sephiroth started off toward the exit, his loosely styled hair swishing as he walked away. Cloud and Tifa shared a knowing look with one another before saluting their friends and dashing after Sephiroth.

“Are we leaving the party?” Tifa asked, looking toward Cloud. Before the blonde had a chance to respond, Sephiroth spoke up. 

“The meeting is being held in a nearby location- a building. The Professor wanted to ensure there wasn’t any risk of being interrupted.”

Tifa grabbed Cloud’s arm before they could fully catch up with Sephiroth, her gaze alone enough to stop him in place.

“Do you trust him?” 

“As long as Yuffie and I play our cards right, he won’t be able to just turn us into Shinra. Sephiroth is smarter than that.” Cloud said, giving Tifa a determined nod as they exited the building. The guards didn’t so much as glance at them with Sephiroth leading them out. “We have a deal.”

Tifa’s expression darkened significantly at Cloud’s words, for a reason the blonde wasn’t sure of. Having a deal with Sephiroth was better than being violently pursued by him, and much better than being forced to comply, like Rufus had been trying. They both needed things from each other and that put them in something of a stalemate.

“Which vehicle is yours?” Sephiroth suddenly asked, stopping in the middle of the parking lot and nearly causing Cloud and Tifa to bump into him. For someone who walked so fast, Cloud wished he wouldn’t stop so abruptly and put everyone that was walking behind him at risk of breaking their nose on his well-muscled back. 

“The truck,” Tifa replied, pulling her keys out of a matching purple clutch, and signalling the car. 

“How far are we going out?” Cloud asked, ready to ride shotgun beside Tifa before Sephiroth beat him to it. He climbed into the back, slightly relieved that he wouldn’t have to struggle around in Scarlet’s dress any longer. She was much taller than him, and much thinner. 

“Two minutes north of Shinra is another corporate building that’s rented under another company’s name. It's where Shinra prefers to have their underhanded dealings occur.” Sephiroth paused for a second as Tifa swerved out of the parking space and toward the main road, his eyes just a fraction wider then they had been. Cloud smirked, missing the way Sephiroth glared in the rearview at him. “The building is located on 38th Street.”

“If he tries, anythin’ you just tell us, Cloud. We’re all just waitin’ to beat him!” Cid said through the earbud, his voice loud. Cloud nodded in response, feeling a smile tug at his lips.

“I bet he just nodded his head.” Aerith said after a moment of silence, and Cloud felt a bit of heat rise to his cheeks as he tried to think of something to excuse his silence. 

“I’m parking across the street. Are we going to enter through the front?” Tifa asked, her dark eyes reflecting the tall, silver skyscraper. Unlike Shinra, this building was clearly under renovation with how many construction vehicles were parked about. There was even a massive pulley hanging by an unplated portion of the building. With a closer look, Cloud realised it was just a steel frame- a large portion of this building wasn’t building at all, it was just a skeleton of one. 

“It doesn’t matter how we enter. The meeting is occurring below us, on the ground floor.” Sephiroth explained, raising a brow as Cloud’s bare feet noisily slapped against the concrete. He hadn’t had shoes to wear since he had left Sephiroth’s apartment. “Due to a recent monster attack, this building is no longer operational; however, the underground portion does connect back to Shinra’s main building, which is most likely the route the president and his colleagues used.”

Tifa looked a little confused on why Sephiroth had chosen to mention the second entrance, but Cloud just jerked his head towards both of them as he neared the door, careful not to ruin his dress. If he kept it in good enough condition throughout all of this, he could resell it in the slums for a hefty amount of gil; that was motivation enough to make him step carefully.

The inside of the building was nothing like the outside: the air was chalky, and the ground was littered with debris- rocks, broken desks, cement. It was like the place had been run through by a tornado. That wasn’t even mentioning the darkness that surrounded them, it was nearly physical and even with his enhanced sight, Cloud felt himself squinting. Tifa latched onto his hand, surely blinking about as blindly as he was.

“Can you guys see?” Cloud murmured, waving his free hand in front of his face. The surrounding blackness was so thick, he could choke on it. Initially, he hadn’t thought it was too bad, but the further he walked, the more difficult it was to see anything. 

“I think I’ve found some sort of door?” Tifa replied, her voice sounding a distance away. Cloud hummed an affirmation before looking down. If he wasn’t holding Tifa’s hand did that mean he was holding Sephiroth’s? He turned to examine his own hand, but found his search completely thwarted by the lack of light… But who else’s hand could he be holding?

“Sephiroth?” Cloud asked, trying not to sound alarmed. 

“What is it, Cloud?” The General replied, distinctly from the right. Whoever was holding his hand currently, was holding his left hand. Cloud swallowed hard, feeling his heart rate pick up. If he wasn’t holding Tifa’s hand, and he wasn’t holding Sephiroth’s hand, that meant the hand he was holding had to belong to someone, or something else. 

“Are you-” Cloud paused as the hand squeezed his gently, in an almost reassuring manner. It made his blood run ice cold. Suddenly the social reservations he had turned into nothing, and he turned toward Sephiroth’s voice desperately. “You’re the one holding my hand, right?”

Dead silence. Cloud looked again towards his claimed hand and prayed to Gaia Sephiroth was just being a shy idiot, and that he wasn’t remotely in any danger at all.

“No, I’m not.” Sephiroth paused, sounding nearer than ever, but even in his nice, prim oxfords, he walked like a silent ghost. Cloud took a step toward his voice and felt whatever was clutching onto his hand step forward too. They were walking together, whatever the hell it was.  “Where are you? Come to me.”

“Some- something’s holding your hand?” Tifa exclaimed, fear clearly in her voice. Cloud nearly wanted to shout with fear alongside her, but he steeled himself, his heart going so fast he felt like he was out of breath from the few steps he had taken. 

“If I knew where you were, I could walk to you, but I can see as little as you can right now.” Cloud muttered, annoyed. A tiny, munchkin-like giggle erupted from his left, and the blonde felt his movements come to a fast halt as anxiety dripped its way down his back. “D-did you guys hear that?”

“I heard it,” Tifa responded earnestly, her voice sounding slightly closer than it had been. 

“Cloud, whatever you do-” Sephiroth started, but Cloud didn’t give him a chance to finish. He was stronger than he gave himself credit for, and braver than your average mite, but Cloud was undeniably human. He had limits, and he could only take so much. If he didn’t implode from fear in the next thirty seconds, he could probably count it as a win, and upgrade from average mite to average Shinra General.

“Fuck it, I’m attacking.” Cloud said, not even caring to keep the horror from his voice. The blonde summoned his sword before he heard Sephiroth utter a word, and brought the blade down with intention to sever the arm of whatever ‘friend’ he’d picked up. He struck whatever was holding him hard, and the motion was quickly followed by high pitched laughter that quickly dissolved into a deep gurgling sound. Unfortunately for Cloud that wasn’t the end of it.

The hand, having surely been cut off from whatever arm it had been attached to, quickly scuttled up Cloud’s shoulder, the nails cutting lightly into his skin. He didn’t feel embarrassed one bit when he squeaked in terror, taking off in the opposite direction. He didn’t get far. The blonde felt himself collide into something else living, only this creature was definitely larger though just as grabby. The force of their collision sent him falling over the monster, his sword flying out of his grasp.

“There’s two, uh, monsters in here!” Cloud shouted, blinking around frantically as he tried to find his sword. A hand suddenly grabbed his wrist and Cloud thrashed hard, attempting to free himself from all of the monstrous hands he had dealt with so far. “The second one is-”

“I’m not a monster.” Sephiroth growled, making Cloud freeze for the second time that night. The blonde stared into the blackness, wishing he knew which part of Sephiroth he was currently sitting on- not that that was an important thing to consider at all at the moment. “Please remove your hands. This position is… compromising to say the least.”

“You’re holding one of my hands.” Cloud said, wiggling the fingers of the hand Sephiroth was holding. The General didn’t respond, but his grip did tighten a bit as if he was dissatisfied with the motion. Cloud moved his free hand around a bit, trying to find something distinct and familiar he could make a relative statement about. It only took a moment for his hand to find the smooth curve of Sephiroth’s neck, his fingers barely brushing over his collarbone. After that, he stopped touching immediately. “And my other hand is by your neck. Those are the only hands touching you, right?”

“There’s another, near my femur.” Sephiorth replied evenly, though Cloud thought he could hear the faintest tremor in his voice. If even General Sephiroth was afraid in a completely black room with a monster, Cloud had nothing to be embarrassed about at all. 

“Midgar Metamorphosis!” Tifa called out from across the room and for the first time in what felt like hours, the faint glow of green illuminated the darkness, cutting through it for a long enough moment. “I think I see the main body!”

Cloud immediately looked down and realised he was straddling Sephiroth, his legs on either side of the General’s waist, his now torn dress making the scene look deceptively erotic. Instead of daring to meet his eyes, Cloud glanced over his shoulder and saw the monster hand clutching Sephiroth’s thigh, the long nails having cut long stripes down the length of his leg. The blonde grabbed it, ignoring the feeling of Sephiroth’s heated skin under his fingers, and gripped the dismembered hand forcefully.

Cloud shakily got up after a second, trembling, and let out a short breath. He felt tired despite himself. They still needed to get to Hojo’s meeting. The light from Tifa’s transformation had left them once again in complete darkness.

“We’re dealing with a Gremlin. The green pigmentation of the skin is a tell-tale sign. It's important to note they specialise in deceptive and transmutative magic.” Sephiroth said suddenly, probably rising to his own feet. Their hands knocked together because of their unidentifiable proximity, and then the General cleared his throat, sounding more than a little awkward. “They can only be dispelled with fire. If you would please hand me the limb you collected, Cloud.”

“It's all yours,” Cloud agreed, grabbing for Sephiroth’s hands before securely placing the appendage in his grasp. The hand wriggled a bit before orange flame illuminated the small area around them, the monster hand turning completely to ash. Cloud glared a bit at the General, his usually blue eyes flickering orange in the glow of fire materia. “If you had fire materia, why didn’t you use it earlier when I was looking for you?”

“If I used fire materia in the presence of a potentially combustible monster, I would be putting all of us in far more danger than necessary-”

“You could have-”

“Can you two help me find the monster?” Tifa called, and Cloud turned away from Sephiroth to glare into the darkness. 

Sight was useless in the dark- even Sephiroth’s fire materia barely glowed at all which meant Cloud would have  to rely on his other senses. Scent was his next thought, but a cursory sniff nearly had his eyes crossing. There were definitely a lot of smells in the building, though the most prominent was the smell of burning which was no doubt their previous encounter with the Gremlin’s hand. There was also the distinct smell of dust, and some sort of earthy must, but nothing he could distinctly tell was monster-like. That meant he needed to rely on his hearing. Cloud pulled the ribbon Yuffie had used to secure his ears off and also removed his earbud. Once he was ready, he shut his eyes focusing solely on the sounds surrounding him. 

He could pick up the overly soft breaths of Sephiroth, the soft crackle of magic induced flame, and even the slight breath of wind on the broken walls of the building. If he listened hard enough, he could even slightly pick up the mechanical whir of Reeve’s earbud, and then there were the soft footsteps he had been listening for. They were getting increasingly louder, the sound of crumbling plaster becoming slightly urgent as if the Gremlin had taken to running.

“Cloud, Sephiroth, it's coming your way!” Tifa shouted, nearly blasting the blonde’s eardrums. She had probably been listening for its movements too. The blonde just rolled to the side, knocking his head on the edge of something slightly sharp. A sudden, throbbing pain tore through his head reminding him it had just been a day ago when he had been incapacitated with a concussion and he dropped to his knee, his ears pulled back as he tried to get through the pain. 

A sudden bright light sparked across his eyelids, prompting him to open his teary eyes and gaze into the hellish brightness. Sephiroth had casted firaga, by the looks of the burning wall, but the Gremlin had dodged it and was now dancing in a small circle, one of its hands completely missing. It took Cloud a moment, but he quickly realised it was casting a spell. After half a second later, a murky purple sort of magic solidified around Sephiroth, dark like ink. The General waved it away like it was nothing more than smoke, but his face was white as a sheet once it cleared, his eyes hazy. 

“Cloud, now!” Tifa shouted, appearing behind the monster and kicking it towards him. Cloud roughly got to his feet, summoned one of his thinner blades, and skewered the creature down its centre. The Gremlin stuck a forked tongue out at him, its eyes still grinning wildly. Without being cued, Sephiroth sent a beam of angry flame towards the creature, hot enough to nearly melt his ice-blade and make the monster nothing more than a miserable pile of ash. Cloud didn’t feel sad to see it go. 

Unlike the animals Reeve had instructed them to save, Gremlins were secondary consumers- they feasted on monster and human flesh, and were rarely used in scientific research due to their humanoid appearance and total lack of submissiveness. They were simply naturally occurring menaces, much like mosquitoes.

“Are we good to press on?” Cloud asked, blinking away the magicked darkness and finally glancing at the room for what it was. The only real distinction he could make was that it was now burning slightly, thanks to Sephiroth.

Cloud maneuvered his way around a fallen piece of ceiling and went close to the SOLDIER General, to see around his hanging bangs and lowered face. The man didn’t move except for a slightly shaking breath.

“What spell was that?” Tifa asked, approaching with hesitation. Cloud didn’t blame her, if Sephiroth hadn’t saved his life, he wasn’t sure if he’d be all too keen approaching him and asking about injuries. They had just been around each other for so long, Cloud hadn’t even thought about it. “Should we pause and check him?”

“You’ll miss the meeting.” Sephiroth finally said, standing up fully. He briefly glanced at Cloud and then Tifa and pointed towards a slightly open door across the room. “Those stairs will lead us down to the ground floor, and then to the meeting room.”

“Can you walk?” Cloud asked, eyeing him warily. Sephiroth gave him an odd look, and loosed his tie and shirt, making sure to step carefully towards the door. Tifa also stopped and gave Cloud a questioning look, but the blonde could only shrug in response. If Sephiroth refused to accept their help, there wasn’t anything they could do.

The stairs were mostly intact, though they were once again submerged into darkness, and missing more than a few edges. After stumbling blindly down for a bit, the stairway opened up into a long, narrow corridor where the overhead lights would occasionally spark and shudder like they still had current flowing through their wires. They continued on silently until they made it to a collapsed wall. The fallen part just made an angle with the opposite, standing wall, but the space was tight. All three of them would have to get on their knees and crawl through. After a second of awkward glances and staring, Cloud cleared his throat and got to his knees. 

“I… I guess I’ll go through first.” When neither Tifa or Sephiroth protested, he dropped to his knees and started his slow descent through the dark, muddied space. His first thought was about how wet it was underneath the wall, but that quickly changed as he proceeded through and was forced to drop to his stomach like a worm. After that, the only thing on his mind was narrowly avoiding the wicked pieces of metal that jutted out of the wall frame in some places. After getting some ways through, the blonde paused taking a deep breath. “It gets tighter.”

“Keep moving.” Sephiroth ordered from behind him, and Cloud would have knocked his head against the ceiling in shock had the ceiling not already been pressing against his spikes. Did that mean Sephiroth was currently stuck staring at his bare feet? Cloud suddenly moved faster after that thought, his arms burning as he finally managed to pull himself through. 

When Cloud emerged he hastily pulled up Scarlet’s nearly fallen dress and cleared his throat, feeling like an embarrassed teenager. This was probably the worst thing to wear to a mission like this. Sephiroth and Tifa emerged a moment after, giving Cloud just enough time to look somewhat presentable again.

“The wall hadn’t collapsed last time I was here.” The General explained, a faint sheen of sweat visible on his neck. He had long since removed his suit jacket, but Cloud couldn’t help but get the feeling he looked uncharacteristically ill. Maybe that was because Cloud had never seen him sweat before. “The peeping hole should be just ahead.”

“Did you name it that?” Tifa asked, her eyes almost crinkling in the closest thing Cloud had seen to a smile in hours. He blinked to himself, silently shocked.

“I… did not.” Sephiroth admitted and though he lowered his head, Cloud swore he looked vaguely amused by whatever memory the question had aroused. “I have a friend who has a penchant for the absurd and the illogical. It was his choice.”

Cloud knew it was Genesis after the measly description and felt a bad taste in his mouth. Friendship was supposed to be open, it was supposed to go both ways. Cloud wasn’t sure what sort of feelings the red-head harboured towards Sephiroth, but he definitely wasn’t honest about them. He let out a frustrated sigh before turning toward the wall, his fingers searching for any hidden grooves.

“Here.” Sephiroth announced and Tifa quickly went to where the General had directed, her face nearly pressed against the wall. Cloud and Sephiroth waited a moment as she peered through the hole, her brow furrowing after a second.

“There’s nothing there. It's just… darkness.”

“We’re too late?” Cloud asked, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall, his eyes slipping shut. He missed the flicker of uncertainty that crossed the General’s pale face as well as the disappointment that furrowed Tifa’s brows. After a second, Cloud moved to look through the peeping hole himself and found stark nothingness staring back at him. It was a little odd to not even see a table, fancy chairs, and whatever else the Shinra Elite were probably accustomed to. He at least expected to see something vaguely room-like. He flinched hard when another eye appeared from the opposite wall, bright and very familiar. 

“Hey! You're the dog guy! The one I beat up the other day!” The man on the opposite wall greeted, laughing. Cloud could only see his eye crinkle, but the obnoxious, nasally laugh could only belong to one person: that damned red-headed turk that had beat the hell out of him and Yuffie. There were still angry red marks on his back from where he had been hit with that rod. “You miss Hojo’s meeting for assholes and dummies too?”

 Both Tifa and Sephiroth turned to look at Cloud confusedly. The blonde tilted his head to the side and mouthed for them to ‘go around’. His plan was to at least catch the annoying red-head and see what he knew. Tifa seemed to understand him, and pulled Sephiroth gently to the side.

“Not an asshole or a dummy, so no. Didn’t miss it.” Cloud murmured, dropping down to glare into the peeping hole. “Did your boss send you here?” 

Tifa and Sephiroth had slunk away somewhere ahead, hopefully around to the turk’s side to trap him. Cloud felt slightly nervous for them despite himself.

“Yeah, he wants in on the Hojo-shit, ha ha. But hey, if you’re no dummy, that means you know what's going on with the injections, huh?” The Turk paused, his blue eye blinking rapidly. “I’ll pay you for it, dog-man.”

“You’ll pay him regardless.” Tifa said sternly from the other side, and Cloud could just barely make out the Turk’s sudden movements. 

“Listen to the lady, Reno.” Sephiroth added, and Cloud suddenly felt the need to dash around and join them. The entry door wasn’t far and Reno was blinking up at his friends by the time he got eyes in the room. “You should have plenty of gil to spare after the check you received tonight.”

“The hell is the General doing here?” Reno stuttered, glancing at Cloud and then at Tifa. He shook his head and then stared, pointing. “Wait a second… The General and you… Then after that fight you-! He’s the one-”

“Take out your PHS and open the Shinra banking app.” Sephiroth ordered, making Cloud almost do a double take. Tifa glanced over at Cloud, her lip between her teeth but then returned  her steely gaze to Reno. 

“I was being nice and all that just to be robbed, fuck man.” Reno murmured, turning the screen of his PHS toward them still muttering to himself. “First class SOLDIER? More like a first class asshole, sheesh.”

“Where's the other 250k?” Cloud asked, taking the PHS from his grasp and looking down at the screen with cold, scrutinizing eyes. In his heart, he was actually feeling very giddy about the potential of receiving a sum that large, but he didn’t dare let that show on his face.

“My partner and I split everything.” The Turk shrugged, his hands in his pockets. Cloud might have assumed he was pulling out a weapon, but with Sephiroth behind him he didn’t think Reno would dare. With a long, sweeping look at Cloud, he clicked his tongue. “We don’t just share our dresses.”

Within a few seconds, Cloud had managed to send the gil to his, Tifa’s, and Barret’s joint account, happy as any person would be receiving so much gil. Sephiroth might also ask for a percentage, but that couldn’t be too much. He was probably already filthy rich all things considered.

“Tell Rufus his father is aware of him.” Sephiroth ordered, nearly making Reno flinch slightly. When the General didn’t say anymore, he roughly retrieved his PHS from Cloud’s hands and dashed away into the shadows. After a second of silence, Cloud straightened up, feeling like a completely new person. 

 “We should head back then. No use standing around here.”

Sephiroth distinctly looked as if he had something to say, but the words never seemed to reach his lips. Both he and Tifa followed Cloud as he started their trek back to the truck, and it wasn’t until the blonde had sat down in the back seat of the truck that he realised how wrong something was. Sephiroth nearly tumbled into the back seat beside him, his feverishly hot skin nearly making the blonde jump in surprise. 

“You’re not okay,” Cloud said definitively, glancing at Tifa who was clearly staring at them both through the rearview mirror. In response, Sephiroth coughed into his hand painfully, his pale fingers coming back bloodied. Cloud’s eyes really opened at that. “We need to get back to Shinra, Tifa. Now.”

As Tifa began speeding back, Cloud tried to get Sephiroth to give some insight on what the hell could have occurred in the past ten minutes to make him go from next top model to a quivering mess, but the General was near incoherent. His eyes were tightly closed and lips nearly white. Two minutes away from their destination, he spoke in a raspy imitation of what Cloud was familiar with. 

“I don’t want to… return to Shinra.” His voice was soft, almost pleading and Cloud blinked down unsure of how to proceed. He didn’t blame Sephiroth’s reluctance, in the same way he had absolutely no idea where it came from. Wasn’t Shinra practically everything to Sephiroth? What did he have to be afraid of? The silver haired General slumped over then, his head nearly resting on Cloud’s.

“Let's… pick everyone up and start heading back under the plate.” Cloud said, his voice only wavering slightly. Tifa parked rather gently and looked over her shoulder at him, her gaze laced with concern. She had never been one to see titles or social standing- she was often too compassionate in Cloud’s opinion. Too kind for her own good. 

“He can’t go back with us, Cloud. You know that.”

“My apartment lease ends at the end of the year. I can stay with him there.” He murmured, staring at his feet. He owed it to Sephiroth to do this. It had been less than a day ago when he had been the one in dire straits, and without asking the General had shown up and saved his and Yuffie’s life. Cloud didn’t consider himself as someone with strong principles, but he would pay back what he owed. And he owed it to Sephiroth to help him out. “Don’t know what's wrong with him, but if it's the effect of that spell from earlier, the symptoms should subside after a day or two.”

“You’re so sweet, Cloud.” Tifa looked like she wanted to reach out and hug him, but she blinked downwards instead, her eyes averted. “I’ll call everyone out… Are you sure this is what you want to do?”

Cloud scoffed, leaning into his seat and causing Sephiroth to slump further. 

“Not sure if I want to, but it is the right thing to do.”

Chapter Text

Cloud, Cid, and Tifa had to help Sephiroth up the stairs and into Cloud’s bed. The General of SOLDIER was in no way easy to move around so now that he was settled, Cloud didn’t even think about moving him again. After promising everyone to call and check up in the morning, and promising he didn’t need a third person staying with him, Cloud finally found the chance to get out Scarlet’s horrible dress. 

 Following that, he grabbed a thermometer, and sat down on the edge of his bed next to Sephiroth who still appeared to be sleeping soundly. He had only ever taken care of Marlene or Denzel when they got sick, but kids were just little people so the approach was probably the same. It didn’t matter that Sephiroth had alien injections either, natural human biology still applied to him which meant the obvious first step was to check his temperature. 

Cloud cleared his throat and tried to prop one of his pillows up without pulling his hair, but came to the realisation that maybe his first step should be to try and tie his hair up or something. 

“I’m gonna, uh, tie your hair…” Cloud started, not surprised when Sephiroth didn’t respond. After realising a majority of his long, silver hair was underneath him, Cloud gave up and readied the thermometer towards his face. “Open wide-”

Somehow, with his terrible coordination, Cloud ended up poking Sephiroth’s face with the end of the thermometer and that was when he came to his second realisation that evening: an unconscious person probably couldn’t keep a thermometer in their mouth properly anyway. He felt too bad to try again after that, and instead chose to measure with his hand and his own forehead. Sephiroth’s skin was warm and clammy for sure. At least warmer than his own skin was.

“Okay do you want medicine or pajamas first?” Cloud asked aloud, looking through the remaining clothes he had in his tiny closet. He had moved a lot of his stuff over to Reeve’s safehouse, but he still had a few sweaters and pants hanging around. Nothing that was even remotely Sephiroth’s size, but all of his clothes were generally loose-fitting. It would probably be more difficult trying to remove his shirt and slacks though... “Meds will probably be faster, I’ll just do that first.”

Cloud calmly went to his kitchen and grabbed a handful of NSAIDs, downing a few himself, before grabbing a cup of water. His head would probably benefit too.  Before he could make his way back, a loud thump sounded in his bedroom- a thump that was definitely a cause for panic. 

Cloud hastily rushed over to find Sephiroth half standing half-kneeling on his bed, his eyes completely foggy and unfocused. He stared hard at the blonde when he entered, though his gaze seemed hazy at best, his eyes blinking quickly and often. 

“Where-”

“My apartment.” Cloud said, slightly worried about the integrity of his room. If Sephiroth had a rampage in here, would his walls survive? Or was that the wrong thing to be considering in that situation? “I’ve brought medicine, you're uh, you’ve got a fever.”

“Your apartment?” Sephiroth repeated, glancing around judgmentally. Cloud made a mental note to remove his Chocobo Racing posters after this event and to never mention his teenage obsession again. The General sighed tiredly before stepping down from the bed, slightly shaky. “I own a house on the upper plate- one that is not located near Shinra. When I mentioned that earlier-”

“I’ll drive you there tomorrow,” Cloud said, pushing the water and medicine into his hands. Sephiroth glared at him for a second, his eyelashes fluttering as if he was falling asleep sitting up, and then quickly downed the pills looking vaguely upset. “What sort of magic was that earlier?” 

“I rarely get sick.” Sephiroth replied unhelpfully, his fingers moving to unbutton his shirt faster than the blonde could think through what was occurring. That was right, the military couldn’t afford anyone any privacy, but in the comfort of his old apartment, Cloud could find his own privacy if he needed it.

“Feel free to wear whatever fits.” He murmured, turning around to make himself comfortable on his couch. He briefly thought about watching something, but found his head dropping any time he thought about moving to grab the remote. It had been a long day to say the least. 

“I understand the difficulties of housing someone aside from yourself.” Sephiroth said suddenly, leaning in the doorway of his bedroom. He was wearing one of Cloud’s longer sweaters, though it still looked cropped and exposed a good portion of his midriff; the pants he had chosen suffered the same problem, stopping just over his knees. Cloud bit the inside of his mouth hard to keep himself from laughing out loud. “I hope it isn’t… incorrect to request sustenance of some kind.”

The blonde blinked for a second before his own stomach rumbled, probably having been reminded that he hadn’t eaten for way too long. He swung his legs over the couch and opened his fridge and just stared at the ingredients Barret and Cid had brought over previously, his mind empty.

“Do you like pizza?”

“It's unhealthy.”

“What about Wutaian?”

“No.”

“You ate that muffin at Seventh Heaven,” Cloud argued, turning to glare at where Sephiroth had decided to sit on his couch. It had been in the nice, cozy spot he had been sitting ten seconds prior. 

“It was a scone and you baked it. Of course I wouldn’t waste it.” Sephiroth said plainly, his fingers pulling through his hair as he worked through the tangles. The motion irked the blonde more than he knew. Sephiroth was a prick generally speaking, but sick, grumpy Sephiroth was like a walking migraine.

“You want me to cook?” Cloud finally asked, crossing his arms and looking incredulously at the man. 

“If that's what you’re offering, I wouldn’t decline.” Sephiroth replied amiably. He met his gaze after that, a handsome smile pulling at his lips as if Cloud had just promised to end world hunger. 

“Stop smiling. I didn’t offer that.” Cloud deadpanned, feeling slightly satisfied when Sephiroth blinked about, as if he had never been denied in his entire life. He was exhausted on one hand, but he hadn’t really cooked for at least a month and half. Nibelheim was a lot of things, but the food was comforting to him; it reminded him of an easier time. That sounded pretty good right about now. “And, anyway you still haven’t told me what's going on with you.”

Sephiroth paused for a moment as if he wasn’t exactly sure how to answer that question and then looked at Cloud defiantly. The expression didn’t seem anywhere near as threatening as it could be since he was sitting with his legs crossed and sinking into Cloud’s abomination of a couch, but the feeling was there. 

“There is nothing ‘going on with me’.” Sephiroth scowled, looking almost as irritated as Cloud was going to feel if he kept having to push the man. “I have always maintained perfect health.”

Cloud stepped around his fridge to stand in front of Sephiroth, his arms crossed. In his hand was the thermometer he had been trying to use earlier. 

“Prove it then.”

“I don’t need to prove anything.” Sephiroth said petulantly, looking down his nose at the blonde despite the fact he couldn’t really since he was becoming one with the springs in his couch. He looked a little ridiculous in the too-short clothes and snotty attitude. Cloud tried hard not to be reminded of Marlene, but the thought occurred before he could filter it. 

“Okay, we can do this the easy way or the hard way.” Cloud said, speaking without thinking. The last time he had heard that line was when Denzel and Marlene had come down with strep, and Tifa had been responsible for giving antibiotics. Somehow, Cloud had kept it in his mind and decided to use it now. Why he had decided to use it now was as lost on him as Sephiroth generally was. 

“A truly sick person would be incapable of-” Sephiroth began, grabbing ahold of Cloud’s forearm. The blonde knew what was happening before it could occur, and glared cold, icy eyes at the man.

“Don’t grab me-” Cloud said, a second too late as Sephiroth flipped him onto the couch, pinning him in place with wild, livid eyes. He ended up dropping the thermometer in the exchange, and hoped it hadn’t fallen in between his couch cushions. He was going to make Sephiroth pick it up if that was the case, whether he was sick or not. “Or you could just tell me what spell was cast on you like an adult. Why’re you so upset anyway?”

“I was proving a point--” Sephiroth said before gripping at his head and wincing. Cloud was barely able to grab his shoulders before Sephiroth came crashing down, the glowing flash of his green eyes suddenly stark behind his tightly clenched eyelids. The blonde grunted hard as Sephiroth’s knife of a chin fell onto his shoulder roughly, his long hair falling out of the plaited style and going everywhere. Then everything was still.

“Sephiroth?” Cloud asked after a second, but the body on top of him was completely limp. If his skin hadn’t been burning, Cloud might have thought he was unconscious or dead. He tried pushing against his chest, but Sephiroth was built like a behemoth; he would have better luck finding his missing thermometer with a blindfold. “You’ve got to be shitting me. How much do you weigh?” 

In his attempts to free himself, Cloud had got a lot of his too-long hair tangled around his quickly numbing hands, and was now stuck fuming into the crook of his neck, completely incapable. It didn’t help that his skin distinctly smelled of heated rum and sugar, with just the slightest notes of jasmine. It was different from his usual overbearing cologne, but just as intoxicating. If he wasn’t crushed by the morning, he was going to die of suffocation.

Cloud struggled for what felt like the following hour before just allowing himself to be crushed, thoroughly annoyed and exhausted. Sephiroth was never going to stay in his house. Again. For now though, he would sleep.

When Cloud blearily blinked his eyes open the following morning, the pressing weight of Sephiroth’s feverish body had miraculously disappeared. In fact, he had enough room to twist and turn and kick his legs like he usually did when asleep; he could even flail his arms around and stretch wildly. The only reason he couldn’t enjoy his newfound freedom was because there was a high pitched voice going on and on in his ear. Initially, Cloud thought it was Marlene trying to wake him up for school, but the longer it went the more unfamiliar he realised it was. 

“Open your eyes and drive me home.” A young, unfamiliar voice said. Had someone else broken into his apartment while he and Sephiroth had been asleep? That was practically what he was inviting with his still broken door, but he wasn’t going to fix that door until a month before his lease was up. “I saw your eyes move, your upper body tense, and can hear the increase of your breath. I know you’re awake. Get up.”

Cloud fully opened his eyes after that, blinking about lazily. A young kid, no older than eight was staring back at him with wide, familiar eyes. Green eyes to be exact. His hair was shoulder length and silver, fluffy almost- there was no doubt he was looking at a young Sephiroth. How he was staring at a clearly younger Sephiroth was a completely different story and the fact the boy seemed to retain his adult demeanor was just as jarring. 

Gaia was a vast place with plenty of things Cloud had never seen: The Northern Crater, Fort Condor, Gongaga- he had never thought he’d witness someone lose over half of their years in one night though, that was just insane. 

“S-Sephiroth?” Cloud asked, still staring at the boy incoherently. 

“It was by your own word that you said you’d return me to my home. I don’t need any commentary. Return me.” Little Sephiroth ordered, looking very upset and very small. Cloud blinked a few times, barely able to stop the smirk from coming to his lips. When he failed he ducked his head, failing to hide his snickering from the boy. 

“That spell cast last night was mini?” Cloud asked, finally moving to sit up. He discreetly examined the boy in his laughter, careful not to make him any more angry. The effect of mini was generally instantaneous, and wasn’t usually followed by a fever. Seeing as Sephiroth was immune to petrify, Cloud had naturally thought he would be immune to other transmutative magic like mini, or frog. The situation was still slightly off though, as mini shouldn’t have caused fever, or any other debilitating effects… That was unless Sephiroth had been fighting against it the entire evening. Was that even physically possible? “I thought you were immune to it?

“I was- I was until-” The boy replied, his tiny fists balling up at his sides as he scrunched his nose up. He looked ready to throw a very fun-sized tantrum. Sephiroth paused, his eyes narrowing even though on his small face they still appeared very large. “Hojo’s most recent injections.”

Cloud paused at that thought himself, his tired mind whirring to life as he tried to connect his jumbled thoughts. The injections Scarlet was manufacturing were intended to make people compliant- Cloud wasn’t sure to what degree, but she had apparently been testing them out in the Sector 6 slums. Hojo’s injections could possibly be the same, or something completely different, but if he had tested it on Sephiroth… And the outcome was weakness to magic then they definitely had to be planning something. Forced submission and a weakness to magic had to be a nasty combination when in tandem with one another. 

“What do you know?” Sephiroth suddenly demanded, pushing forward to stare at him determinedly. Cloud had been so caught up in his thoughts he had almost forgotten he was speaking to an eight year old. Well, not technically, but still. “What other information are you withholding from me?”

Before Cloud could decide how he wanted to answer that question, the door to his apartment was moved roughly to the side, causing them both to look upwards in alarm. Little Sephiroth immediately moved to stand in front of him defensively, his hand immediately pulling at his hip for his signature sword, only to find himself unarmed. He looked back at Cloud for half a second, adorably disoriented.

“After you were gone for two whole days, I can’t believe you didn’t even think to show last night!” Barret cried, walking into the apartment with his hands full of something that smelled distinctly of butter and pepper. When he saw Sephiroth standing confused, he looked towards Cloud’s face, and then back to Sephiroth looking very confused himself. “Who- who’s this little guy?”

“I’m not a ‘little guy’-” Sephiroth started, but Cloud quickly stood up, happy to see his friend after so long. Barret was sure to be excited about all the gil they had gotten the previous night.

“This is why you should take your sunglasses off inside, that's not any kid that's Sephiroth.” The blonde murmured, a small smile tugging at his lips as Barret clumsily moved to remove his sunglasses, muttering a few curses under his breath. Cloud tactfully took the covered platter from his arms, smirking as Barret rubbed at his neck, somewhat sheepishly. “He had mini cast on him and now he’s like this.”

“Huh?!” Barret exclaimed, dropping his sunglasses before blinking and moving to pick them up again. Cloud was pretty sure he was going through the same phases of shock he had just five minutes prior. “This is Shinra’s Silver General?”

“That is correct.” Sephiroth said, looking a little satisfied for the first time since Cloud had awoken. Before the conversation could get any further, his stomach rumbled noisily, drawing Barret and Cloud’s attention toward him.  

“He’s a hungry little guy, isn’t he?” Barret chuckled, patting his head as he passed him by and then removing the foil from the container he had brought. Apparently anyone below 5’10 got the dad treatment from Barret- the only exception being Tifa, and now that Sephiroth qualified, he qualified.  Cloud suddenly sniffed the air himself after that, hunger making his mind go practically blank. He had brought a tray of sausage, gravy, and biscuits, steaming hot and fresh. He felt like he could taste it through the smell alone. “Go get yourselves a plate or something. I can already see your tail wagging from here.”

Cloud hoped Barret had been making a simile and that his tail wasn’t actually wagging, and moved to fetch plates for the three of them, his mind wholly concerned with the glorious, buttery food that had been brought for him. 

“If you ever need to talk to him about something important,” Barret started, facing the younger Sephiroth. He laughed, watching the tiny General devour a few sausages in one breath. “Make sure you feed him first. Cause’ there's no way he’s gonna listen when he’s eating, or when he’s hungry.”

“I see.” Sephiroth responded impassively, as he delicately bit into a biscuit sopped in gravy. 

“My Myrna used to be the same way- but that was her love-language or what not. She loved when people cooked for her, and that's why I learned all those years ago.” Barret paused mid-story, taking a bite of a biscuit gingerly. “Even though he’s sticks and bones, Tifa and I make sure he eats good.”

“Thanks for bringing this over.” Cloud said, finishing the last remaining crumb of his fourth biscuit off his fingers. He hadn’t heard much of whatever Barret was saying to Sephiroth, but he didn’t suppose it made much of a difference anyway. Barret was someone who talked no matter who he was with: people he hated, disliked, or loved didn’t change a thing. Granted, the last time he had spoken to Sephiroth it had been a fight, now that Shinra’s General was parading around as an eight-year-old, it wasn’t like he could just up and start shouting with him. Even Cloud had been pulling his punches. “You should think about putting that on Seventh Heaven’s new menu. It's good.”

“It's also the only time I ever get a compliment from this hardass.” Barret continued on, before snapping back to attention, his dark eyes practically shining. “Tifa told me about the gil… I knew the planet wouldn’t just leave us. The same way we defend her. Fifty-fifty. Equal trade.”

“You can’t actually believe the planet is sentient.” Sephiroth said, patting his face with a napkin. Cloud deftly broke off the edge of a biscuit and chewed, looking at Barret for his response. 

“Damn right I do. I believe Shinra’s killing her too, but you probably know that better than any of us.” Barret narrowed his eyes, his lips thinning before he let out a loud, irritated sigh. “But you saved Cloud’s life so I’m not counting your mistakes today. You’ve got good in you, General. That much is clear.”

“It is?” Cloud murmured somewhat jokingly. The double glares he received in turn were in no way humorous. 

“What other deficiencies did you mention?” Sephiroth suddenly inquired, setting his napkin beside his plate, perfectly folded and clean as if hadn’t used it. “Cloud has difficulty expressing thanks? I believe I’ve experienced that firsthand.”

“Oh yeah, there was this one time-” Barret started before Cloud’s phone rang, loud and shrill. Barret looked at the caller ID nosily, before scooting it over to Cloud. “You recognize that number?”

He didn’t actually recognize this number, but Cait Sith had called him using three different phone numbers already so he didn’t really have much of a choice but to answer. Cloud glanced at little Sephiroth who was glaring him down, and flipped his phone open moving into his bedroom. Hopefully he could get some privacy there. 

“Hello? Cloud, are you there?” Cait Sith’s voice chimed over the speaker, sounding as chipper as ever. “I’m calling for a matter of great importance!”

“Hey, what's up?” Cloud asked, catching his own eye in the mirror. His hair was a mess, and apparently makeup didn’t disappear when you went to bed. There was a red smear travelling from his lips near to his chin. Cloud wasn’t sure if he was thankful for Barret and Sephiroth not mentioning it, or if he felt worse about it. 

“Well, there's a monster attack in Sector 1 and neither Yuffie nor Tifa answered their PHS’s, and well, I didn’t really expect Red to have one…” Cait Sith mumbled on for a second before Cloud cleared his throat expectantly. “Uh, anyway the sighting was just off of Minerva Street! Shinra is sure to have deployed a SOLDIER already and we can’t be late!”

“I’m on it.” Cloud assured him, shutting his phone and wiping the remainder of his makeup off. When Cloud returned to the table dressed, he received apprehensive looks from both Sephiroth and Barret. “There's a monster attack, I’ve got to run.”

“Tifa said you had a concussion less than a day ago!” Barret said, standing up and making Sephiroth look even tinier beside him. “You can’t go out there by yourself-”

“I’ll go with him.” Sephiroth said, hopping down from the chair to go to Cloud’s side. 

Cloud looked down at how small Sephiroth was and shook his head, looking back to Barret. 

“Get back home. Tell Tifa about what's going on and have Vincent fly her out. Two or three of us should be enough.” Barret saluted him in affirmation before running out, Cloud’s abandoned door shoved roughly to the side. The blonde sighed before looking downwards again. “The only reason I’d bring you is if you lived near Sector 1.”

“It's best we don’t waste any more time then.” Sephiroth replied, walking past Cloud in a ridiculously stiff manner. 

Before they knew it, Sephiroth’s tiny hands were tight around Cloud’s waist as they all but flew down the highway towards Sector 1. Reeve’s safehouse was located in Sector 3 and would have been a much faster ride, but Cloud’s apartment was in Sector 7, which meant a solid four or five hour drive going at Shinra’s speed limits. The roads back in Nibelheim didn’t even have signs about speed, so the notion had never really made much sense to the blonde. Speed limit signs were meant for ideal conditions anyway, emergencies were definitely not ideal. 

When his GPS alerted him they had gotten close enough, he parked somewhat haphazardly in a tight alley and transformed, drawing his favourite wide-edged sword. Sephiroth let out a shaky breath before shaking the drive off. Cloud had slightly expected a comment, but he seemed to be focused on other things.

“You’re not coming with me.” Cloud said with finality. For a second he had forgotten he wasn’t talking to a true eight-year-old, and attempted to make himself sound more neutral. “You don’t even have your sword.”

“I was able to win unarmed against both you and your other enhanced friends-”

“That was when you weighed a little bit more than sixty pounds.” Cloud said, pinning him in place with his gaze. “I’ll take you home right after this. Stay put for right now.”

Without waiting for him to respond, he dashed out and glanced around nervously. Minerva Street was the intersection between three different lights, and located smack in the centre of what was probably a busy business area. Right now, traffic was at a complete standstill, not a soul was in sight, and the faint ringing of a siren could be heard. It was like he was staring at a ghost city. 

As he made his way around, Cloud realised the cars weren’t the only things that had been abandoned, the storefronts were also devoid of people, many of the doors chained and windows cracked and covered in dust. Had Sector 1 been the part of Midgar bombed by eco-terrorists all those years back? Cloud remembered having watched a news report and remembered protesting or what not, but he had never considered the reality of it. Seeing it now was like walking through one of those dystopian novels Denzel liked to bring home.

When his PHS chimed, Cloud nearly jumped out of his own skin and quickly answered when he realised it was Barret’s number.

“Hey, listen-”

“Are you guys on your way?” Cloud asked, heading directly towards the intersection. Maybe  the monster was a reclusive, odd creature like the basilisk had been. That lizard hadn’t seemed destructive, just out of place. 

“Yeah, but-” Barret paused as Cloud heard Tifa say something, and then the revving of an engine sounded.

“Cloud it's important that you don’t engage the monster before we get to Sector 2.” Tifa said suddenly, her voice crystal clear. Cloud stopped dead in his steps then, feeling small and exposed in the centre of the intersection. “Vincent actually doesn’t have a wide scope of that sector in his memory so we’re driving, but-”

“I’m not in Sector 2,” Cloud started,  but he never heard her response. Something heavy kicked into his back sending him tumbling forward, his PHS clattering against the cement. The blade of his sword scraped roughly against the cement, eventually bringing him to a slow stop. “Genesis.”

“Time to finish what I started? Hm?” The red-haired man swung his sword a few times before sauntering forward, looking very pleased with himself. Cloud would have rolled his eyes if he hadn’t been worried about the lasting effects of his previous concussion. “You really make my job easy- making enemies every way you go… I didn’t even need to ask the Turks twice to have them act against you.”

“They captured Cait Sith?” Cloud asked, rising to his feet, his sword still clenched in his hand. He lifted the blade over his shoulder, the slash in his right arm still burning from his previous encounter with Genesis. 

“They’ve worked with that mechanical beast before. It wasn't difficult to falsify its voice and lead you astray.” Genesis took a calculated step forward, looking pleased with himself. His magic sword was already glowing with power. “Your friends aren’t coming to Sector 1. And that leaves you right where I want you: isolated, helpless, and completely at my disposal.” 

Cloud let his sword respond to that comment, his icy blade swinging with all the anger he had internalized since meeting the red-head. Genesis met him with his own fiery longsword, each of their blades meeting in seething fury, as fire hissed against ice.

“Why’re you doing this?” Cloud shouted over the sound of their clashing weapons. After pulling back Cloud defended against at least ten of Genesis’s sword strikes, the weapon large enough to protect most of his vitals. His arms still burned with the effort, but resting the past few days left Cloud feeling refreshed. The pain only spurred him on.

“My soul, corrupted by vengeance hath endured torment, to find the end of the journey. In my own salvation- and your eternal slumber!” Genesis twisted around, using his wing to hastily sweep behind to strike at his exposed back, but Cloud was all too familiar with the action. Genesis liked backstabbing people, both physically and metaphorically. 

“The hell does that mean?” Cloud murmured more to himself as he drew a second blade with his right arm to defend his back. Even though he was right handed, the injury he had gotten weakened his grip and within a second of blocking Genesis's attack, the sword went flying out of his grip, his arm throbbing with disuse. 

Instead of cutting into his now unguarded back, Genesis flew upwards, a maniacal grin stretching across his pale face. He lifted a hand towards the grey skies, summoning a storm of fireballs to shape.

“‘Why’ you ask? Hollander started this experiment to help me! His experimentation on you was to be the cure to my degenerative failures, but no! You and that ugly rat-dog had to flee and intervene, and play hero- ugh.” Genesis turned his nose up at the blonde, disgust and weariness finally visible on his darkened face. Cloud felt disgust well up in his own chest, at the hypocrisy, at the selfishness.  “Well no longer. I could care less what Rufus wants, but if I am ever to succeed against Sephiroth’s genetic superiority, I need your sacrifice- willing or not .”

With his second monologue finished, Genesis flicked his wrist down sending the fireballs cascading over the ruins of intersection like divine fire, purging everything in sight with its hellish heat. In the time he had taken to summon, Cloud had thought up a counter attack himself, and chunked his massive sword towards Genesis’s floating form like a boomerang. Then he dashed forward, the speed of the Nibel wolf allowing him to dodge past the hellish projectiles with ease and tackle the red-head as he deftly avoided the massive blade. 

They both tumbled backwards, rolling across cement and debris until Genesis collided into a brick wall, Cloud growling down on top of him. 

“What's your problem with Sephiroth?” He slashed at the bronze armour the man was wearing and felt his claws tear through it like paper. It felt like it had been years ago when Vincent had told him his specialty was disarming his enemies- it was only now that Cloud had been able to put it to the test, and boy had he been right. Genesis stared down in horror at the blonde’s strength before remembering he was still holding his magic sword. 

In a single, decisive moment, Genesis stabbed his sword into Cloud’s lower abdomen, skewering him. The heat of the blade’s magic was unbearable, like there were coals cooking up his insides while he could do nothing but gasp and tremble. After a second Genesis shoved hard against him, and Cloud felt the blade cut through his back, searing and terrible, but this time the only thing Cloud was thinking about was Yuffie. Yuffie had endured this exact pain a few days ago, and still managed to laugh and make light of things.

“Problem? The only problem I have with that egotistical son of Hojo is that, having been born as that scientist’s son, he had access to the best, most pure J-cells, the best training, the best of the SOLDIER program- he got everything!” Genesis grinned watching Cloud’s face contort with pain, his face only darkening as he continued with his damn story. “And of course, his ugly wrinkled father would put him in charge as General, who better could he control? Once your sacrifice is made-”

Cloud didn’t listen to another narcissistic word. He slammed his fist into Genesis’s face, watching with satisfaction as the red-head’s grip went slack for a second, and staggered backwards taking the flaming blade with him. 

“Sephiroth is egotistical,” Cloud sputtered, blood dripping down his chin as he tore Genesis’s sword from his stomach; he drew another longsword from his own arsenal, a sword with a saw-toothed edge and a wicked point. “He’s an asshole, and entitled to boot. But he’s not a traitor, and he never would put someone else's life in jeopardy just so he could get a job.”

When Cloud finished his statement he actually laughed at how ridiculous it all sounded, at how infuriating it was that Sephiroth actually cared about someone like Genesis. The red-haired man stared at him, his lips barely quivering with uncontained words.

“Why would you defend him-?” Cloud didn’t give him a chance to speak, rushing forward with both of his blades, slashing and hacking like a mad man. Genesis blocked hastily with his bronze gauntlets, but with the anger and force behind the blonde’s strikes it was clear which was going to hold out. 

Genesis managed to kick the blonde down again, but he didn’t dare stay near him to attack. He flitted away weakly, his crumbled wing sad and limp.  After a second Cloud stood again, feeling feeble and exhausted but his eyes remained sharp and severe. Genesis swallowed despite himself. 

“Sephiroth is better than you.” Cloud threw Genesis’s sword down, closing the distance between them even as his blood soaked the front of his shirt. He pressed his own blade roughly against the red-head’s neck and blinked, numbed by anger. “But it's not because of some alien cells or what not.”

“Cloud-” A deep voice called him, and the blonde recognized it as Sephiroth’s voice- his normal, adult voice - but he still didn’t turn. He stood motionless, staring into Genesis’s face the power of life and death clasped in his hand. “Stand down, Cloud.” 

Cloud looked down despite himself, still half expecting to be looking at the face of an eight-year-old, and then looked up, the searing pain finally registering from his old wounds and his new.  

“R-right.” Cloud sheathed his blade, turning away from the scene, his eyes suddenly watering despite himself. He cleared his throat before taking a couple shaky steps away. “Go ahead, finish up business. I- I’ll be waiting by my bike.”

Sephiroth turned back to Genesis, a thousand things on his mind, a thousand questions he wanted answers to. But the thing he felt the most keenly was the loss. Sephiroth had known Genesis was up to no good, he had known they were often at odds, but had not known it had bred so much resentment in his friend. He hadn’t even known Genesis was interested in being the General of SOLDIER.

“I wasn’t aware you wanted to be the General of SOLDIER.” Sephiroth said to him, his fists clenched at his side. It was impossible to hide the note of bitterness that slipped into his usually apathetic tone. He opened his wallet and ripped his badge from its place, tossing it into the flaming debris. “The position is yours. You can tell Shinra I resign.”

Cloud’s focus cleared when he heard Sephiroth’s last line, his ears standing straight up as shock took the place of pain. He turned to say something, but Sephiroth was already walking past him, silent. Cloud followed after him sluggishly before Sephiroth came to a dead stop, making the blonde walk into his back and nearly break his nose. Cloud was struck by a sense of deja vu until Sephiroth swirled around and grabbed him by his shoulders. The motion was so sudden Cloud just sort of blinked, his head tilting in confusion. 

“No one has ever defended me before.” Sephiroth said, his green eyes boring into him. 

“I mean, I didn’t- not really-” Cloud started, but Sephiroth, who was never in a rush with his words, spoke again, effectively shutting the blonde up. 

“I appreciate you standing beside me… Despite everything.” Sephiroth paused, something foreign flickering across his face. Cloud didn’t think much of it all things considered. If Sephiroth really was done with Shinra, he wasn’t much of a threat to him or Reeve. “You’re a good person, Cloud. And I don’t say that lightly.”

“Uh, thanks.” The blonde nodded, patting his shoulder somewhat awkwardly. The motion felt off considering Cloud was never actually one to initiate physical contact, but since Sephiroth had taken the initiative this time around, the blonde felt inclined to reciprocate. He coughed a bit and stared at the blood covering his pale hand. Two days and he was going to end up in a hospital again, this had to be a record. “Maybe… Maybe we should go?”

Sephiroth stared at him a moment, looking as lost as Cloud felt and then lifted him easily, his black wings suddenly present and very dark. When they set off to the skies, the motion was almost enough to make him choke on his own blood, and he felt himself clutch onto Sephiroth desperately as pain consumed his consciousness. 

When Cloud came to again, he wasn’t sure how much time had passed, or even where he was. He was surrounded by white, the scent of medicine cloyingly strong and nearly sickening. He swallowed, forcing his eyes to stay open and spoke, his mind far behind his words. He wasn’t even sure if Sephiroth was around, but he spoke anyway.

“Sephiroth?”

“Cloud, we’re here. You’re going to be okay.” Tifa said, her voice soft and familiar in his ears. He briefly felt her squeeze his hand before falling asleep again, his eyes falling shut.

Chapter Text

It had been a week since Cloud had been stabbed and hospitalized,  a week since Sephiroth had joined their group of misfits, and a week of silence from Shinra- that was probably the most alarming part. After Sephiroth had dumped his badge and his responsibilities, Cloud had expected backlash, he had expected violence, he had expected something, but there was nothing. That was making him go a little crazy, but not as much as living with Sephiroth was. Because Shinra’s ex-General was a paranoid, distrustful sort of person, he refused to so much as check out his old house and living quarters. In his words he, ‘had enough gil to retire for three lifetimes over’. Cloud was secretly skeptical that those bank accounts might be frozen sooner or later, but it hadn’t happened. On the other hand, payment for the generator suddenly became a lot less imposing. Though that also meant they all had another roommate to try and get along with, Cloud found that was harder for some of them rather than others. 

Currently, they were all standing out in Reeve’s front yard, the barely visible sliver of sky bright and inviting. The air was hot, the chitter of cicadas loud enough to be distracting- it was terrible. They were all outside cooking themselves alive for a single reason: for the training Sephiroth had graciously offered them. Cloud in particular felt drained by the heat. Maybe it was the Nibel Wolf in him that just naturally expected cooler temperatures, but being outside was making him doze, his chin dropping every few minutes. Or maybe it was just that Sephiroth’s lecture was going on too long, that could have been it too. 

“Today we’ll be going over the second set of essentials in combat: defence. To begin, we’ll start with three basic maneuvers you can take when being attacked- these work in both melee and at range.” Sephiroth paused, flipping his ponytail over his shoulder and eyeing Cloud specifically, like he had made this lesson since the blonde was constantly getting injured. Cloud couldn’t tell if he was disappointed, or just wanted them to wake up a little more but he suddenly asked for participation. “If someone is swinging a sword at you, or shooting a projectile what sort of action should you take?”

“You gotta take defensive action!” Zack said excitedly, his eyes wide and excited. Cid snorted under his breath while Sephiroth furrowed his brows.

“And what sort of action might that be?”

“You could absorb the attack with your own weapon.” Nanaki offered, licking one of his paws. Cloud watched Sephiroth’s eyes almost light up at his comment, though there was no accompanying smile. 

“Interception is an excellent way to receive an attack without injury and an excellent way to follow up with your own attack. It is important to note that this form of defence is the most dangerous without experience though, which I’ll expand on later.” Sephiroth paused, clearing his throat before beginning to pace. “There are two more basic forms of defence I’m looking for.”

“You could attack before they do- the enemy!” Barret suddenly said after having furrowed his brow for one too many minutes. Cloud personally had zero idea what the man was saying, though he did know that Barret had more combat experience than all of them excluding Zack. “Then you won’t be attacked.”

“The scenario he made up said you were already attacked!” Cid said, laughing and crossing his arms. “You didn’t hear a word he said, did ya?”  

“...I did.” Vincent replied, suddenly shifting beside Cloud. The blonde wasn’t sure when he’d decided to show up, but he had actually fallen asleep for the first half of Sephiroth's lesson. Cloud and Aerith had tested him with experimental pokes and got zero reaction. Having just woken, he probably hadn’t realised Cid’s comment wasn’t directed at him. 

Tifa looked about, hesitantly raised her hand, realised it was an informal setting and just spoke. 

“You could avoid the attack. Dodge out of the way or something?”

“Yes, that is correct.” Sephiroth said, grabbing ahold of the broom he had been using as a practise weapon in his previous lessons. This was probably the longest verbal lesson they received since their group was filled with more… ‘practical’ learners. Sephiroth had seemed to pick up on that pretty quickly. “The three defensive maneuvers we’ll be practising today are dodging, intercepting, and blocking. Who would like to help me in my first demonstration?”

“Oh! I can! I can help!” Zack said enthusiastically, raising his hand and wiggling his fingers. This was what had occurred for the past three days. 

“Put your hand down, you already had your chance!” Yuffie said, slapping Zack’s hand down and striking her own fist in the air a few times. “It's my turn to beat him up again! I want to hit him!”

“Would anyone else like to participate?” Sephiroth asked, clearly over both Zack and Yuffie. They had been the only two to volunteer for the past few days. Sephiroth very pointedly looked in Cloud’s direction and the blonde immediately dropped his gaze on instinct, and pretended to be busy examining his shoes. “Cloud? You’ve yet to volunteer?”

“Uh, no, I don’t think-”

“Your sacrifice is appreciated.” Vincent said with finality, giving him a forlorn pat on his shoulder. Cloud looked at him with thinned lips. 

“We won’t forget this.” Nanaki said in agreement, giving him a small, toothy grin. Cloud glared as the cat shifted into his spot, looking very inconspicuous. He was practically being forced. 

“Okay. Fine.” Cloud moved to stand across from Sephiroth and crossed his arms feeling embarrassed despite himself. “What should I do?”

“The first thing we’ll practise is blocking. Pay close attention to my stance- my feet are shoulder width apart, and my weapon is pointed downwards, towards my non-dominant foot. When attacked, I will quickly move my weapon towards the centre of my body and block.” Sephiroth handed Cloud the broom with its bristles removed and summoned a sheathed Masamune. “Try to attack me from a few different directions, Cloud.”

Cloud took the broom and spun it in his hands a few times to get accustomed to the weight before striking. Then he lunged forward.  No matter how he positioned his weapon, Sephiroth seemed a second faster, moving his sheathed sword to just catch the point of his broom handle. 

“That was good. That's enough for now, thank you.” Sephiroth said, turning to continue his lecture a bit longer, but Cloud unfortunately had already stepped forward, the momentum of his previous attack still carrying him. Sephiroth caught his broom in one hand and looked slightly confused as to why Cloud was still striking at him. The blonde felt himself stutter, failing in his own verbal defence.

“Sorry, I just got- I got distracted.” He quickly let go of the broom handle and stepped away, feeling like an idiot. “Wasn’t trying to hit you.”

“I saw something similar occur when you were fighting Genesis.” Sephiroth said, grabbing ahold of Cloud's hand and returning the broom. The blonde said nothing. “You get too absorbed in your attack and lower your own defenses. While that can be a successful strategy to employ, it isn't safe to any extent.”

Sephiroth held Cloud's gaze for a prolonged second before turning back to everyone, clearing his throat. Cloud felt the most awkward he had in a while. He wasn’t sure if he needed to respond to that comment or not.

“I'll try to focus on defending myself.” Cloud agreed. It didn’t hurt anyone just saying it all aloud. 

Sephiroth gave him a rare smile and turned back to everyone else, his stoic expression back in place. 

“Practise blocking two to three times with your partner. Then we can break for lunch.”

Once Sephiroth had scolded Zack on his posture a few times he returned to Cloud's side and looked at him appreciatively.

“Guess that leaves us as partners?” Cloud asked, unsure of Sephiroth's odd expression.

“I'll make sure to go easy on you.” He promised.

“Okay that's it, does anyone else hate living with that stupid, ugly, tall, liar, thief?!” Yuffie exclaimed, taking an angry bite out of the grilled cheese Aerith had made for her. “It's, like, totally impossible!”

“What’d he ‘do’ to you now, huh?” Barret asked, shaking his head. “Last time you said this you were getting onto the man for being a man. When you caught him shirtless, he was walking out of the bathroom. The hell you’d expect?”

“Zack?” Tifa asked, completely ignoring the steam pouring out of Yuffie’s ears. “Has Shinra mentioned anything about his disappearance?”

Zack, who was standing on lookout for Cloud or Sephiroth suddenly turned back, shrugging. 

“Nope. I even asked Genesis about it and all he said was that he was taking time off. If I hadn’t heard from Seph myself, I’d have no idea.” Zack took a slightly wary breath in, like he wasn’t sure why he hadn’t resigned from Shinra himself and then caught Yuffie’s eye. “But, hey, living with him is great! He’s a great cook, and he always made sure our space was clean. And he’s super strong, that's a total plus too.”

“He takes a long damn time in the shower,” Cid muttered gruffly, sipping at his orange juice. 

“You have your own residence, don’t you?” Nanaki asked, his tail wagging slightly as Aerith hummed and placed another grilled cheese on his plate at the table. “If it really bothers you, leaving is always an option.”

“Shera’s gone on that research trip, and Yuffie moved on out recently-

“I literally was there for like three days!” Yuffie cut in.

“- just feels a smidge quiet when I’m there.” Cid sniffed, shrugging. “Barret’s a single dad anyways. He needs the help.”

“Cid can be sweet, aww!” Aerith crooned, giggling as Cid glared daggers in her direction, scoffing.

“I'll move in with you.” Vincent offered, flapping into the room and perching on the back of Nanaki’s chair. 

“I don’t need no damn crow nestin’ here. Already got enough of em’ nestin’ in my garage.” Cid turned and looked at Nanaki with a grin. “Could make room for a good ol’ hunting dog, er cat.”

Before anyone could think of a response to Cid’s idiocy, Cloud scrambled past the counter, Barret’s keys in his hand.

“It's my day to pick up the kids, right? I’ll be back in an hour or so.”

Before the blonde got too far, Tifa stopped him with a concerned look. 

“Are you sure you’re up to going alone? Should someone go with you?”

Cloud didn’t have the chance to answer as Sephiroth somehow appeared beside him, silencing the little chatter that had started up.

“I can go with him.” He replied coolly. When Tifa looked like she was going to say something more, he offered her a handsome smile that looked more lethal than the blade strapped to Zack’s waist. “It's no problem.”

Cloud shrugged, giving his friends a small wave; Sephiroth followed behind him like a shadow. Even after the door shut, it remained dead silent for a few seconds, like everyone was waiting to hear Barret’s old truck engine stutter to life. When it did, Yuffie was the first to speak again.

“Okay, but you have to admit he is so weird around Cloud. Like, I swear the only reason he joined us is so he can flirt it up with him.” Yuffie paused, staring at everyone’s faces and watched Zack’s hanging jaw get closed numbly by Aerith. “Did you see the way he smiled at him in training today? I couldn’t have been the only one!”

“I saw it.” Aerith confirmed, nodding. She walked past Zack then, looking determined. “I saw the way he grabbed his hand too.”

“I knew it!” Yuffie cheered, uncaring of the surrounding horrified faces. “When we were living together before it was crazy, I totally felt like a third-wheel, to the max-”

“Slow down.” Tifa ordered, placing her hands out in a placating manner. “Sephiroth was handing him his weapon back- that was the reason they were holding hands. As for the smile, well, everyone smiles at Cloud. He’s sweet.”

“Sephiroth doesn’t do smiles. Smirks? Maybe. Smiles? Never.” Zack said definitively. “Angeal says he only smiles at you once he’s really warmed up. When I asked him how long that took, he said it was five years for him and seven for Genesis.”

“No way.” Barret said, shaking his head. “There’s no way in Gaia he-”

“Well, we all know Cloud’s been lookin’ at men.” Cid said, making Zack nearly drop his second sandwich on the floor. “Ask Vincent, he can explain himself since he was the man in question.”

“I called it!” Aerith exclaimed, popping her fist down in her hand, her green eyes wide. She looked happy, contrary to Tifa. 

All eyes suddenly turned to Vincent, who remained completely unphased by the entire conversation. When he continued to remain silent, Tifa approached the chair looking distraught.

“Please say something?”

“I have nothing to say.” Vincent responded, his wings ruffling impassively as he was stared down into oblivion. 

Yuffie prepared herself to leap over the table until Nanaki cleared his throat, looking very thoughtful.

“There was a situation that called for the resuscitation of Shinra’s General… It happened during a monster encounter. Cloud was very anxious to make physical contact. Sephiroth, on the other hand, appeared elated upon waking though it was difficult to discern why.”

“Cloud did mouth to mouth with Sephiroth?!” Zack shouted, a crack appearing on the plate Aerith had given him for his sandwich. Tifa put a hand to her mouth while Barret looked like he was struggling to follow where the conversation was going. 

“No, the action was never completed. The General ended up waking before they touched- if I recall correctly.” Nanaki clarified, lowering his head. Yuffie sighed so hard she ended up plopping down onto her bottom and kicking her legs out. 

“Well, there's only one real way we can tell!” Cait Sith said suddenly, drawing everyone’s attention. He had attended a few training sessions, but was often away doing actual, important things. Since he had listened to their entire conversation, it was clear his priorities were a little skewed on this particular afternoon. “We’ll have to test them both!”

 It was dead silent in Barret’s truck, and Cloud hated that it unnerved him more than his and Sephiroth’s constant bickering. When they argued, at least he knew what the General was thinking about. In complete silence he felt like Sephiroth was picking apart every tiny detail of his identity. Even the tiny cactuar on Barret’s dashboard seemed afraid to bobble. 

Cloud let out a sigh as he pulled into the school’s parent pick-up line, placing the truck into park. At least four sectors worth of kids attended this school, and more often than not he spent at least an hour picking up Marlene and Denzel. It couldn’t be helped. Having Sephiroth sitting in the seat next to him was awkward, but not unpleasant at least. At least that's how Cloud felt, Sephiroth might feel differently.

“Cloud I hope you know my only intention in acting as Midgar’s general was to guard it.” Sephiroth suddenly said, his gaze directly ahead of him. Cloud glanced over at his profile and caught a steady light glimmering in his usual alien eyes. He was being very serious right now. “Before we came to our understanding, I chose to pursue you for the good of Midgar.”

Cloud narrowed his eyes at him before shrugging his head and glaring out the opposite window. It was a load of bull if he had ever heard it. No normal, sane cop could chase after a whim of theirs- much less to the extent Sephiroth had harassed him. No, Sephiroth could only do what he had because he had been the General of Shinra. It was unfair to say it was all harassment though- he had helped Cloud and his friends too. They wouldn’t have gotten anywhere if Sephiroth hadn’t agreed to their initial peace agreement.

Sephiroth glanced over at him and seemed to see his wariness for once, sighing. Despite his pristine appearance, Cloud thought he looked a little worn down, tired almost. The blonde had a very hard time finding any sympathy for him, but it came anyway. Sephiroth, despite being everything Cloud wasn’t, was still human. 

“Cloud, I am a very direct person so I intend to make my next statement very forthright, as I now see my previous one has failed to reach your understanding.” Sephiroth said, turning in the tight space to face him in a physically more direct manner. Cloud only blinked at the change in body language. Sephiroth looked ready to share Shinra’s deepest, darkest secret, or perhaps the truth about his alien cells. Cloud had been waiting for some time for him to bring it up, especially considering Genesis’s fixation on them. “We have very different natures, Cloud. I am straightforward, and you are not. When we attempt to discuss something important this immediately becomes apparent.”

Cloud had been in the midst of pulling up when he paused, his brow lowered in offense.

“I only hid things when I was afraid you’d arrest me. Other than that, when have I not been straight with you?'' Cloud paused mid-sentence as he watched a teacher walk up to the side of the window and wave for them to open it. If Barret’s stupid, old truck had a window regulator that actually worked, he might have been able to click a button manually, but Cloud hadn’t gotten around to repairing Barret’s truck yet. He was stuck making awkward eye-contact with a very intense Sephiroth, and a frazzled old woman outside. Cloud leaned toward him to try and reach his window, his hand outstretched. “Uh, if you could just-”

Sephiroth’s eyes widened, and he grabbed ahold of Cloud’s outstretched wrist delicately, an almost confused look flashing across his pale face. Suddenly, he was lowering his green eyes, his long lashes fluttering while his other hand moved to cup Cloud’s face. The blonde felt himself freeze completely when the General’s finger brushed over his bottom lip, seeking.

“Even the way you confess isn’t direct, Cloud. You’ve only managed to prove my point-” His voice had dropped an octave lower, but not in a frightening way as he had done before. It was rich and made Cloud feel like he was the only person in the world. Did alien mutations give mind-control powers? Cloud felt like he was being coerced. “I will admit my pursuit of you hasn’t been wholly occupational. Despite it all, I’ve found myself very attracted to you. There was a point in which I promised myself I would… That I would court you.”

Cloud made shocked eye-contact with the woman outside before undoing his seatbelt and shoving roughly around the General to force his window down. On returning to his seat, he nearly fell into Sephiroth’s lap, which the General did not help him with, and made it back to his own seat with none of his pride intact and a very red face. He had practically touched Sephiroth everywhere in trying to right himself, and that was just the beginning of everything wrong that had happened.

“Uh, I was jus’ gonna ask your kid’s name.” The woman said, her own face red. She coughed into her elbow. And then, after glancing at Sephiroth, in a more quiet voice, “Didn’t mean to do any interruptin’ or anythin’.”

“Denzel and Marlene Wallace,” Cloud muttered, his face burning in embarrassment. He was never going to be able to look at Sephiroth. Never. Not for any reason. He wasn’t going to come to Marlene and Denzel’s school again either. 

“You mind repeatin’ that?” The woman asked, looking at Cloud. She risked a glance at Sephiroth before blushing more and looking toward her feet. 

“Our children’s names are Denzel and Marlene Wallace,” Sephiroth repeated clearly, with a very untruthful explanation. When Cloud finally had the chance to pull forward he shook his head, trying to dispel the terrifying ideas his mind had suddenly decided to conjure.

“They’re not our kids,” Cloud muttered to himself, still keeping his eyes directly ahead of him. When the blonde glanced toward the rear view, he saw the General quirking a brow, looking very unaffected. “Not that that even matters remotely. Uh, compared to what you-”

Cloud didn’t get a chance to finish his half completed thought as a teacher opened the back door.

“Cloud!!” Denzel exclaimed, launching himself into the back seat before staring silently at Sephiroth. Cloud gave the boy a weary smile before Marlene squealed.

“ The General Sephiroth came to pick me up? Cloud you’re the best!” It was the first compliment she had given him in a while. Cloud did not accredit it to the man sitting beside him. 

Sephiroth turned his head a quarter to give them what was probably best described as a gentle, and calming smile. The blonde didn’t look any longer, the previous conversation burning holes into his mind.

“I trust your school was intellectually stimulating?” Sephiroth said, sounding more like a robot than a somewhat caring adult. Cloud had almost forgotten that while Sephiroth had been a public icon, and a celebrity, he probably had little to no interaction with younger kids. 

“It was… A little?” Marlene replied, as Cloud briefly watched Denzel sink into his seat. He didn’t blame the boy. 

After a second of silence, Cloud spoke, still feeling like the tips of his fingers were on fire. The last thing he expected to receive from Sephiroth today was a love confession .

“So, uh, how was school today?” He asked, his mind working on auto-pilot.

“Bad!” Marlene sing-songed, pulling against her seatbelt to try and make eye-contact with Cloud. “Mr. Johnny said that Shinra is what gives people jobs, but I remember daddy saying-”

“Marlene, be quiet!” Denzel scolded, glancing at Sephiroth with worry creasing his young face. Denzel had been keeping an active track of what was going on with Cloud despite the blonde’s reluctance to involve him. Like everyone else, he seemed to have a difficult time understanding why Sephiroth had decided to move in when he had been such an obvious stressor to Cloud previously. Having a bunch of weird, random people move in already had to be detrimental to Marlene and Denzel’s environment, but having Sephiroth move in had to be the cherry on top. Cloud was the worst half, co-parent anyone could ask for.

“Okay then,” Marlene sighed, crossing her tiny arms and leaning back in her chair. After a few contemplative seconds, Cloud could feel her swinging her feet into the back of his chair. “Well, how was your day then, Denzel?”

“It was fine, Marlene. Can you just be quiet?” The boy murmured, staring out the window dully. Marlene seemed very dissatisfied with his answer, but turned towards her own window in silent protest. 

Cloud felt slightly relieved the conversation had lulled to a stop, he felt relieved Sephiroth had quit staring at him too. With one hand on the wheel, his other naturally relaxed near the gear shift. As soon as he got home he- he- Cloud didn’t know what he’d do. Sephiroth lived with them now. There was no way he could just leave him hanging, but it wasn’t like he had any idea what to say either. He couldn’t ask anyone for advice either, what would he even start with? 

Suddenly, Cloud felt something warm cover his hand and looked away from his windshield to find Sephiroth’s hand covering his. The first thing he felt was a sort of intense heat crawl up his neck and then his heart began pounding against his ribcage, mercilessly. If working for Reeve hadn’t given him hypertension by now, Sephiroth was going to seal the deal.

“What’re you doing?” Cloud asked too fast to control his volume. He could only pray Marlene and Denzel had not taken notice of whatever development had just occurred, or that Sephiroth was trying to make occur.

“When people are in a relationship they hold hands.” Sephiroth stated plainly, like Cloud was the idiot in the situation. Cloud jerked his hand away, his eyes nearly bulging out of his head. 

“We’re not in a relationship.”

“No, Cloud’s never been in a relationship with anybody ever.” Marlene piped up from the back seat. Cloud suddenly felt cold sweat drench his back. “That's why daddy made a bet with-”

“Okay, who wants ice cream?” Cloud asked, sitting up straighter than he had in his entire life and clutching the steering wheel for support. The last time he drove like this was when Tifa had been teaching him how to drive according to Midgar rules. He couldn't remember any other time he had been so afraid.

“I do!” Marlene cheered, easily distracted as she always was. 

Denzel was making wide eyes at Cloud through the rearview mirror, wide knowing eyes. Early on in their relationship, Cloud had realised he and Denzel were fairly similar- they were both more reserved, more quiet, and as a result, more perceptive. That was how they’d learned to read each other’s expressions so clearly without sharing a word. Right now, it looked like Denzel was silently begging him to explain what he had seen. Unfortunately for Cloud, he probably never could- not honestly.

Cloud pulled roughly into a parking spot and hopped out of the front seat like his ass was on fire. He was feeling way too jittery to continue driving safely. He carefully opened the back door and waited until both Marlene and Denzel had gotten out before going around to meet Sephiroth. He wouldn’t dare face him alone after this. Before Cloud could grab her hand, Marlene darted out into the road, excitement in her steps.

“Marlene! Hold my hand when you cross the road.” Cloud cautioned her, grabbing ahold of her tiny hand. 

“But General Sephiroth isn’t holding anyone’s hand.” She pointed out, pouting even though she was clearly swinging Denzel’s arm in her other hand quite happily. “That's not fair.”

Sephiroth’s long fingers twitched towards Cloud’s free hand, but the blonde quickly pocketed it, refusing to acknowledge anything. He was getting more nervous by the second and it was hard to place what it was that was messing with him so badly. He had never been confessed to before, but there was no way that would make him feel like his concussion was back for round two. Cloud was feeling nauseous, dizzy, and light headed- where were these symptoms coming from? 

“Sephiroth isn’t in first grade. Once you’re Denzel’s age you can cross the street by yourself as much as you want.” Cloud pulled open the door and did not meet Sephiroth’s eyes as he walked in, his nerves possessing him to stare at his feet like he was an anxious kid again. 

The ice cream shop Cloud had picked was in the Sector 5 slums- it was a quiet sort of place that never had a wait and also served Nibelheim ice cream, which was basically all Cloud wanted in his life. It wasn’t quite like his mother’s recipe, but it was close enough with its silky smooth texture and expansive mouthfeel. There was also the fact that there were almost no customers around; that made it easy to bring in Sephiroth without having to worry about being seen.

“Can I have the carrot cake and marshmallow cream flavour please? In two separate cones?” Marlene asked, standing on her tiptoes as she eyed the display cases with unbridled joy. Denzel was right at her side, looking nearly as excited. “I’m getting one for daddy, is that okay Cloud?”

“Get whatever you’d like.” The blonde nodded, examining the flavours himself despite always choosing the same one at the checkout. He looked over his shoulder at Sephiroth, his previous stiffness replaced by his desire to act somewhat normally in public. “Want anything?”

“I’ll have a scoop of the coffee flavour. In a cup.” Sephiroth said, moving towards the register. The employee behind the counter didn’t seem at all shocked that the General of Shinra had graced their humble little store. Cloud respected the apathy.

“Hmmm,” Denzel thought aloud, suddenly reaching the blonde’s side. “Should I get mint chocolate chip, or black raspberry?”

“You usually get the mint kind.” Cloud shrugged. He usually got a bite of ice cream from both Marlene and Denzel, in that case he wouldn’t mind trying something new. “How about trying something new?”

Before Denzel could agree or disagree, Sephiroth scoffed, tossing a lock of hair behind his ear.

“Interesting piece of advice, all things considered.” The General muttered, his gaze heavy on Cloud’s back.

Denzel looked at Sephiroth’s face before flashing back to Cloud’s, probably piecing the horrifying truth together. The blonde in question, took a deep breath and turned towards the register. He was an adult. It was a mantra now that echoed in his head anytime he wanted to act out in an immature, petty way. Sephiroth probably needed to hear it more than Cloud did, but Gaia wasn’t that helpful. She never had been. 

“How much will that be?” Cloud gritted out, his jaw suddenly heavy as he tried to keep from clenching it and grinding his newly strengthened wolf canines. 

“I’ll pay, Cloud.” Sephiroth said suddenly, pulling his hand back to offer his own crisp Shinra bill at the worker. Cloud physically moved to stand in between the worker’s outstretched hand and Sephiroth. 

“Thanks.” He said, his tone completely flat. He briefly caught sight of Denzel’s eyes widening- he and Marlene probably recognized the tone of voice he was taking on. It was the tone Cloud took on when he was really trying hard not to let any emotion slip into his voice and was failing badly. “I don’t think I asked.”

“I insist-” Spehiroth started, pressing his hand against the small of Cloud’s back to sort of shift him to the side. It was the last straw.  Cloud opened the worker’s outstretched hand, placed his own crumpled bill within and shut it before spinning around and grabbing Sephiroth by the wrist. Unfortunately, he didn’t look the least surprised or even perturbed- the even more enraging part? Cloud saw that he was smirking. He was having fun harassing him like the complete asshole he was. He had thought Sephiroth was over being an annoying prick, they were supposed to be on the same side now!

“We’re going to the bathroom.” Cloud said to Denzel, his fingers still locked tightly around Sephiroth’s wrist. The young boy nodded while Marlene stood stock still, her eyes wide. “I’ll be right back.”

Cloud practically stomped all the way to the men’s room before tearing open the door and throwing a very compliant Sephiroth against the wall. He thought about slamming a fist into the bathroom wall beside him to try and make the annoyingly smug General realise how serious everything was, but didn’t want him to get any other… ideas . Sadly, Cloud no longer had a straight man’s ignorance. 

“If you weren’t being such a- an asshole, I-” Cloud stuttered, feeling his face heat up at the sheer idea of someone confessing to him- that combined with his contained frustration was making his face burn in splotches of embarrassing red. He hated the fact his most incriminating emotions were often painted on his face in bright splashes of colour, they were so much harder to hide that way.

“You…” Sephiroth paused, licking his lips before drawing closer to Cloud. The blonde hadn’t even noticed his advance until it was too late, and Sephiroth was forcing his chin up with a push of his graceful fingers, his eyes roving all across the blonde’s face. “I wasn’t aware you were capable of such an expression.”

“I’m not- I’m not whatever you think I am, I’m frustrated!” Cloud finally spit out, tearing away from Sephiroth’s touch. He shook his head, walking in a few mindless circles before drawing his hand down his face. He was standing as far away from Sephiroth as was physically possible in the tiny bathroom, his back completely exposed to the man. Cloud stayed there for a second before taking a few large breaths and letting his emotions roll off his back. There wasn’t any logical reason for an emotional outburst, or a scene he just needed to get back in control. All he needed to do was make himself clear and stop acting like an emotionally stunted teenager. He was too old to be acting that way. “I don't… I don’t reciprocate.”

When Sephiroth remained completely silent, Cloud sighed and left his spot in the corner to speak with him face to face- the way he deserved to be spoken to. The smirk from before seemed to have finally been replaced with something more genuine: confusion. Honesty was at least something Cloud could work with.

“I don’t understand what you mean.”

“I don’t have the same feelings you have towards me.” Cloud explained, wringing his hands as he tried to explain himself better. It was flattering to receive a confession, but they had just been at each other’s throat the previous week. That wasn’t even mentioning the fact that they just simply weren’t compatible. They were practically from different worlds, and even when they happened to cross into each other’s areas, all they did was argue. 

Sephiroth’s confession had literally come out of nowhere, it wasn’t like their interactions had been even remotely romantic previously.

“You’re attracted to me are you not?”

“I mean-” Cloud pursed his lips before dropping his head, feeling betrayed by his failure to wholly deny the man. Sephiroth was conventionally attractive- anyone that denied that was just being dumb. He also had a sort of ethereal beauty about him that definitely came from the alien genetics, and that- that just made the entire situation unfair. How the hell was Cloud supposed to answer that sort of entitled question? He would lie. Badly. “ No .”

“Deny it all you’d like, but I am not as ignorant as you think me to be.” Sephiroth replied smug once again, his arms crossing. This time when he stepped toward him, Cloud tactfully maintained their distance by taking a step back himself. He needed space if he was going to survive this. Sephiroth blinked haughtily, his long lashes casting a shadow over his eyes. “I’ve seen the way your eyes wander.”

“Well, attraction isn’t the only thing a relationship is about.” Cloud muttered, directly choosing to not continue the previous conversation. There was no way he could have won that. Not that there were winning and losing sides here, Cloud was just a really big idiot. He was finally realising it too.

“We could easily start a relationship based on attraction.” Sephiroth offered, his voice had dropped again, sultry and intoxicating and far too close. Cloud hadn’t realised his back had hit the opposite wall until Sephiroth had pinned him there, his arm pushing against the wall casually while his lips barely caressed his ear. If Cloud even moved a centimeter, his lips would be against Sephiroth’s annoyingly defined collarbone.

“Five. Fucking. Feet.” Cloud suddenly ordered, unable to hear, smell, or think about anything except the man in front of him. There was no way he was letting this continue. He pushed against Sephiroth's chest roughly, forcing the distance to grow between them. Once he could breathe again he took two deep breaths of fresh, clean air and got off the damn wall, hoping he seemed less ruffled than he felt. Considering Sephiroth’s lowered eyes and knowing smile, Cloud felt that was probably very unlikely.  “I said I don’t reciprocate. What the hell don’t you understand? And stop- stop doing that .”

“Why don't you like me then?” Sephiroth pushed, though thankfully not physically this time. He tilted his head slightly, his gaze still very unnerving. “You’re clearly very affected by my advances.” 

“Have you ever considered the fact that not everyone is as obsessed with you as you are with yourself?” Cloud ground out, finally feeling his patience run out. If Sephiroth wasn’t going to respect his denial, then Cloud had no problem laying it for him the way it needed to be. “Listen, I think it's an honour to receive a confession from anyone, but I can’t- no, I’ll never reciprocate your feelings. I’m sorry.” 

Silence descended over the bathroom, and for a second Cloud wondered if he had been too rude, dashing Sephiroth’s feelings on the ground as he had. His gaze flickered to the ground, his thudding heart finally slowing as his previous words settled. Never . He hadn’t really wanted to deny the General in that way, but with all of Sephiroth’s pushing it had felt like the only way of making him understand.

“You want me to move out then?” Sephiroth asked as Cloud reached for the doorknob somewhat numbly. Cloud didn’t dare look at him now, something like shame forcing him to lower his head and keep his eyes averted.

“If you want to leave you can, but I won’t take back what I said the other day. If you need someplace to stay you can stay.” Cloud dipped his head feeling more exhausted than when he had fought Genesis. How did that work out? 

“Is it because of that woman you live with? Tifa Lockhart?”

Cloud paused for a second contemplating whether he should slam his own head or Sephiroth’s into the wall and then pulled the door open. 

“I’m leaving.”

Chapter Text

“So the first thing I should tell all of you is that I am currently researching a hypothesis.” Reeve announced, still dressed in his full suit and tie. Now that Cloud thought about it, he had never seen Reeve dressed any different. “My new hypothesis paired alongside the, ahem, notoriety of our newest member has pushed me to identify a more suitable path for our group.”

Cloud watched Sephiroth continue to stare unflinchingly ahead, even as a few pairs of eyes turned his way. Despite Shinra not actively pursuing him, just staying in Midgar was a risk. 

“Is the hypothesis related to those injections we found?” Cloud asked, shifting in the love seat he was sharing with Marlene, Nanaki, and Denzel. Zack was sitting on the armrest, nodding supportively. 

“Good question, Spike.” 

“Well, before we proceed with my hypothesis I wanted to ask you if Seventh Heaven was able to start its reconstruction.” Reeve’s eyes flashed from Cloud’s to Barret’s, and then finally settled on Tifa after a second of silence. 

“Barret and Cloud finalised the details about the floor plans a few days ago. We hired a team from Kalm to start tomorrow, at the start of the week.” Tifa smiled to herself a little, looking a little weary. “It should hopefully be back to what it was in a few months.”

“Excellent!” Reeve exclaimed, looking a little too chipper about her response. Cait Sith, who was wedged between Vincent and Sephiroth in the opposite couch, giggled nudging his two companions knowingly. Cloud had no idea why the animatronic was still powered on when Reeve was right in front of them, but he wasn’t going to be the one to mention it either. “I’ve bought a few vacation rooms in Costa del Sol. I think it's high time you all get a break from Midgar’s constant rush and-”

“And so you can test your hypothesis.” Vincent added, a glint of suspicion present in his dark eyes. Even after so long, Cloud could tell Vincent didn’t fully trust Reeve. Now that Sephiroth was in the equation he was probably even more uneasy. 

“The hypothesis you’ve still failed to explain.” Sephiroth added coldly, attempting to discreetly scoot away from Cait Sith. Unfortunately scooting away from Cait Sith meant scooting closer to Cid, who sat on his opposite side. The pilot blinked himself awake when Sephiroth nearly bumped him, and glared upwards. 

“The hell’re you doin’?! Don’t make me spill my goddamned tea!” 

Sephiorth returned the glare, one of his brows shooting up as if he dared Cid to continue. Cloud doubted anyone had ever said something like that to him and tried to hide his growing amusement when he realised both Zack and Denzel were poorly concealing their own laughter. 

“We have more tea, Cid.” Tifa chided gently. “Marlene, could you go grab the teapot from the kitchen, please?”

“Can Cait go do it? I’m busy .” Marlene explained, deliberately batting her large eyes towards Barret instead of Tifa. Cloud pointedly noticed she was just playing a game on Denzel’s Gameboy. 

“Yeah, that animatronic isn’t saying anything helpful anyways!” Barret added in, always in favour of Marlene. Cloud found it to be endearing as long as he wasn’t the one being questioned.

“I don’t want to get up either!” Cait Sith exclaimed, scooting further back into the couch and rendering Sephiroth’s previous action completely useless. Once his back reached the furthest cushion, he threw out his stickish arms and used Sephiroth and Vincent’s legs as his armrests. “What if we got Yuffie to get it? She’s not contributing much either-”

“You’re not even real !” Yuffie exclaimed, climbing onto the couch seat and pointing angrily at the cat while she used Aerith’s shoulder to balance her. “And I couldn’t contribute ‘cause you were so busy being distracting! Can you stop gambling by yourself and forcing Vincent to pick up your fallen dice?! I can’t concentrate when you do that!”

“How many rooms did you book in Costa del Sol?” Cloud asked, peering around Zack to make eye contact with Reeve. Even though Yuffie and Cait continued to argue in the back, Reeve seemed to catch his question. 

“I was able to get four separate rooms each of which has two beds, a kitchenette, and a single bathroom.” Reeve gave the blonde a bemused smile as a pillow went soaring across his once prim lounge. “Maybe Cait Sith shouldn’t come…”

“You’ve gotta bring him.” Denzel suddenly commented, tearing his attention away from Marlene’s game. “Yuffie is always complaining that no one spends any time with her anyway!”

“That so?” Cloud responded, crossing his arms and giving the boy a cheeky grin when Denzel nodded his head emphatically. Cloud leaned back and let the chaos ensue- that at least was pretty normal for them.

After equally distributing the financial cost of the impromptu vacation, Cloud’s pilot friend offered his services in order to keep their travels low-profile. Sephiroth honestly wasn’t sure how he felt travelling in such a large group to such an indiscreet location, but according to Shinra’s Head of Urban Development, it was necessary. 

It hadn’t even been fifteen minutes since they had checked in to the only inn in Costa Del Sol- a place with casual furnishings and enough windows to threaten even Sephiroth’s enhanced skin with the chance of skin damage- when Zack tore out one of the rooms, his shirt gone and dashed towards the ocean wildly.

“Last one to the ocean has to buy dinner!” He shouted, nearly bumping into Aerith and Barret who seemed less than enthused when their luggage teetered dangerously to the side. Sephiroth had taken great care in memorising the names and occupations of all of Cloud’s associates, not that the blonde cared to take notice of his thoughtfulness. Cloud had been avoiding him since the confession, and Sephiroth still had yet to pinpoint which of his phrases had insulted the blonde. Anyone that received his affection should be honoured… Perhaps it had been the question regarding Tifa Lockhart.

“Denzel, don’t go out there without your sunscreen!” The woman herself called, grabbing ahold of the young boy’s arm as he tried to dash past her. “Did Cloud already go ahead of you?”

“I’m behind you…” Cloud murmured, dragging his feet and suitcase. Sephiroth had half the mind to go and help him, but he knew where he was and was not wanted. He kept his feet planted firmly in the adjoined hallway, just out of their view. Cloud’s usually spiky hair seemed to droop, his eyes were lined wearily, and his face had a slightly greenish hue. “Think I’ll sit this one out…Go ahead without me.”

“Not interested in swimming?” Reeve asked, approaching Sephiroth amiably, his eyes flickering over to Cloud and Tifa before returning to the General. The man had already changed into a brightly coloured collared shirt and shorts, his hand resting leisurely in his pocket. Of all of Cloud’s friends, only Reeve had the confidence to approach Sephiroth and converse with him- that was aside from Zack. “Everyone seems to be heading in that direction anyway.”

“You’ll still sit out there with us, right Cloud?” Denzel asked, pulling at the man’s hand eagerly. Sephiroth remembered what holding Cloud’s hands had felt like: they were distinctly smaller and rougher than his own hands, but they had fit perfectly together. Cloud had surely felt the same way.

“I’ll sit,” Cloud agreed easily, a small smile pulling at his lips before he looked up suddenly. Sephiroth quickly shifted his gaze back to Reeve, who had apparently also been eavesdropping, and crossed his arms nonchalantly.

“I’ll accompany you to the beach, but for today I’ll refrain from going into the ocean.”

Without waiting for the man to respond, Sephiroth hurried inside his room to get changed into attire that would suit the occasion. While Midgar was experiencing the colder seasons, Costa Del Sol radiated heat and its proximity to the equator made sure it remained that way throughout the year- even in its winter season. Sephiroth personally didn’t understand the appeal of such heat, nor did he really understand the point of a vacation- simply put, this entire getaway didn’t make much sense at all to him. But after what had occurred with Genesis, he didn’t feel particularly pressed to stay within the confines of Midgar.

Sephiroth eventually looped his long tresses into a haphazard hair tie and prepared a towel and umbrella to shield him from the sun’s deathly rays. He made it onto the beach relatively undisturbed, the white grains of sand smooth and warm against his feet. After watching  Zack fight against a wave, he settled onto his towel and sighed, just pushing his sunglasses to his forehead to watch Cloud and his friends trickle onto the shore.

The children were the first to dash into the sparkling blue water, their cares tossed behind them as they charged forward, sand kicking at their heels. Cloud, Tifa, and Barret were next, the latter of the trio dressed correctly in their swimsuits; it was only Cloud who remained in his loungewear, barely any skin exposed in the pulsing heat of Costa Del Sol’s winter. Sephiroth had dressed in a loose-fitting shirt printed with palm trees- a gift from Angeal the single, previous time he had visited Costa Del Sol- and had tactfully only secured a single button in order to allow maximum breathability and air transfer. The last time he had been here it had been Genesis who had incurred a heat stroke from complete lack of preparation; Sephiroth would in no way allow the same thing to occur to himself.

“Well, you’re looking a little lonely over here.” A cheerful voice observed somewhat obnoxiously. Sephiroth was a patient man and he understood that children were often described as ‘trying’. What he didn’t understand was why it wasn’t the children of Cloud’s company that tried his patience- it was Aerith Gainsborough, Cloud’s self-appointed romance director. It had taken Sephiroth only a few years to catch onto Zack’s more endearing qualities; for her he reckoned it would never occur. “Did you need someone to apply sunscreen on your back? I can help!”

“No I do not.” Sephiroth replied evenly, betraying none of his inner thoughts. Before he could react, Aerith had managed to tie something around his wrist- a thin bracelet with beads the colour of the sea. Sephiroth raised a disapproving eyebrow.

“It's for an event later tonight!” She explained quickly, smiling widely while she moved to sit more comfortably beside him. Sephiroth sighed in his mind and shut his Advanced Materia Diffusion book with a thump. Aerith didn’t seem to mind at all as she propped her chin up on her hand and glanced longingly at the opposite side of the beach. “You should ask Cloud about materia, he knows a lot about it.”

Sephiroth didn’t understand why she was trying, and failing, to hold a conversation with him. He glanced around for a second to see if there was someone he could call and leave her with, but she had been right when she had mentioned he was isolated. The rest of Cloud’s allies were either in the sea, or near the shoreline beside him. 

“I’m reading about advanced techniques that expedite the natural formation of materia in condensed amounts of mako over a shorter time period.” Sephiroth said, watching her eyes glaze over slightly as his sentence ran on. He felt a sliver of irritation. She spoke about something she had not even a single inkling about, and then didn’t pay attention when she was educated.  “Cloud has no interest in talking about such things.”

“So you’re assuming Cloud doesn’t wanna talk about it?” Zack asked, dripping as he neared them. With a wet smack he plopped down beside Sephiroth and nearly covered his book with tiny droplets of sea water. Sephiroth breathed out of his nose and then out through his lips, remembering Angeal’s face before choosing his next action. 

“I know  Cloud does not want to speak to me. He hasn’t wanted to speak to me for the last week.” A second of silence passed after Sephiroth’s statement and the General finally sighed aloud, his shoulders sagging a bit. Being cornered by this devastatingly extroverted couple, had apparently been enough to make him spill his pathetic tale of temporary rejection. Though Sephiroth had no qualms about hiding anything, he hadn’t exactly wanted to parade around the fact something had gone on between himself and Cloud. 

“Tifa’s calling me- I should go! Sephiroth, Zack’s a great boyfriend, ask him anything you want!” And with that Aerith got to her feet and dashed away. Sephiroth, with his enhanced hearing, knew for a fact Tifa had not called her, but he appreciated the excuse nonetheless. In the least, he felt variably more comfortable around Zack than her. 

“So, what's going on, bud? I thought the slump you were in was about Shinra, and Gen, and stuff…” Zack started, falling back on his hands and moving his eyes slowly tracing the edges of the umbrella. Sephiroth followed his lead and gazed upwards himself, eyeing the blues and whites that outlined the poorly designed instrument. “Didn’t realise it was about Cloud.”

“Perhaps they play a key factor in it all.” Sephiroth acknowledged, breathing in the salted sea air, for a precious, uninterrupted second. He had never thought to confess to anyone before leaving Shinra, that was true; he had never met someone who cared as much as Cloud did either- no matter how reluctant the blonde was to show it. Sephiroth had resigned from Shinra on an emotional whim, one he had yet to regret. Emotional whims had already been new to him- perhaps his confession had occurred in a similar vein. Unlike regret or hatred, the idea of love was a difficult thing for Sephiroth to fully comprehend. Attraction was more quantifiable, as was the desire to spend more time with the given individual, but romantic love? He had seen Genesis and Angeal in a relationship, but it had taught him little about romantic interest on a whole. “I gave a love confession to Cloud the past week and was rejected.” 

Zack nearly choked on his saliva or perhaps it was his breath. Sephiroth had no way of knowing, but he coughed for a good few seconds, his dark, spiky hair flicking droplets of water everywhere. Sephiroth was only narrowly able to avoid them. 

“That's why both of you guys are hiding out in your rooms in Reeve’s house? Aerith totally called it!” Zack exclaimed, sitting up suddenly and nearly hitting Sephiroth with his wet shoulder. “I mean- how- how about you tell me about it, huh?”

The disbelief in Zack’s bright eyes did little to urge Sephiroth on, but instead of keeping his lips sealed, he simply turned away and braced himself. It was statistically shown to be beneficial to receive advice from others in multiple facets of life, and Sephiroth, who knew virtually nothing about relationships, would do well in learning from Zack. Perhaps he could pinpoint why Cloud had rejected him so vehemently. 

“We’re both undeniably attracted to each other,” Sephiroth began, receiving a poorly concealed cough from Zack. Now that he had begun speaking, he would continue no matter the younger man’s reaction. “I’m also strong of character, and suited to work and provide for any person I may find interest in. And yet, when I stated this he seemed to react in anger.”

Zack nodded, though the motion was clearly just feigning normalcy. It seemed as if Sephiroth’s first error had occurred there. “Okay, wow. Hm. I think when you’re confessing to someone you shouldn’t-  you shouldn’t start it like that… Especially with someone like Cloud. He responds better to sincerity.”

  “How are you suggesting I confess then? I’ve already been denied.” Sephiroth stopped himself the moment he realised he was beginning to sound like Genesis- petulant and whiny was how the man spent most of his days- and chose to pursue a more beneficial path. “I fail to see how Cloud would change his perspective now. Especially when considering the fact he refuses to hold even the most mundane of conversations with me.”

“When you’re confessing to somebody I think you should talk about why you like them . So, let's start with, maybe, why you like Cloud.”

“I didn’t, not initially. In fact, my first impression of him was quite bad, but that changed quickly. He- I came to realise that the time I spent beside him was enjoyable to say the least. I enjoyed our banter and when I discovered his ideals I immediately knew they aligned with my own. Cloud, despite his subtlety, is someone who would go out of his way to protect others- even those he wasn’t familiar with, or even disliked. I didn’t think such a person existed, and yet to his own detriment he still keeps fighting.” Sephiroth paused for a moment, more surprised how easy it was to vocalise his thoughts to Zack. It usually  wasn't easy putting words to his feelings. He could feel the younger man’s eyes on him, round and wide like he hadn’t thought Sephiroth was capable of speaking so many words at once. “I’ve never been protected by another person before-I never thought I needed to be protected. And yet, when Cloud took the chance to defend me, I knew I didn't have to continue that way. It was the realisation that I could also have the chance to... receive someone.”

“Shit.” Zack said, the word falling out of his mouth the second Sephiroth had finished speaking. 

“What should I have said then?” He responded back somewhat defensively. Up to this point he had been nothing but honest with Zack. While Sephiroth understood he had done wrong, his previous statement had primarily consisted of sentiment. He quirked a dissatisfied, silver brow up at him.

“No, that- that was just so sincere,” Zack said, leaning forward suspiciously, his eyes large and reflective against the ocean- almost like they were sparkling. There seemed to be poorly subdued excitement bubbling under his grin, and Sephiroth wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad. “I didn’t know you felt that way at all.”

“I would appreciate the advice Ms. Gainsborough promoted earlier.” Sephiroth replied dully, glancing away so his glare wouldn’t wither away Zack’s enthusiasm. Going along with Genesis’s nickname, he could practically see a metaphorical wagging tail behind Zack. 

“Oh, right. Well, I’d say,” Zack went quiet for less than five seconds, a true feat for him, and let himself fall into the sand, his arms thrown out haphazardly. Sephiroth did not flinch when they made unnecessary contact. “Be yourself- don’t be the celebrity everyone knows you as, or the SOLDIER Shinra created- be the Sephiroth you just told me about. And remember, if you love something, let it go. If it comes back, it's yours. If it doesn’t, it never was.”

Chapter Text

“Anyone that has a bracelet needs to stand up and find people with a matching bracelet!” Aerith suddenly said, startling Cloud from where he and Vincent had been attempting to bury Cid in the sand. Nanaki had initially dug a hole in the sand to sit in himself, but once Cid had plopped down, Cloud had known a swift and deadly vengeance had to be carried out for his feline friend’s sake. “It's beach volleyball time! Come on!”

Cloud looked over at the bracelet Aerith had given him earlier and then continued to shove sand over Cid’s legs as he snored. It was only when Vincent paused that he stopped for a moment himself to look up.

“You have a bracelet on.” Vincent stated plainly, glancing over Cloud’s wrist. Despite the fact that it was hot enough to cook an egg on the sand, Vincent still stubbornly wore his fraying red cloak as well as all six of his layers of clothing. Cloud honestly felt hot just looking at him, but that might have just been because he was wearing one too many layers himself. Cid’s plane had been freezing. 

“You have the same coloured bracelet on.” Cloud shot back, watching Vincent look down at his own wrist to remind himself of that fact. They both stared at each other for a second, silently wondering who was going to toss their bracelet into Cid’s sandpit first when Aerith put a hand on both of their shoulders.  

“We all have the same colour, guys!” She said, her voice falsely enthusiastic as both Cloud and Vincent turned to look up at her. They both had a somewhat guilty look on their faces. “Come on, you two! You both need a little sun anyways! It’ll be fun!”

“Barret’s probably good at volleyball,” Cloud said, considering the man’s height and general ability to complete most tasks. He watched as Barret heartily swam across the sea, Marlene a tiny speck on his back. “You should ask him-”

“The winner gets their dinner paid for.” Aerith leaned down and blinked in Cloud’s face like she was willing him to understand she was talking about gil. “I’ll give you a high-five too? Oh, and I could be your bodyguard for a day-”

“Dinner alone will do.” Vincent said, rising to his full height. His cape dragged behind him, collecting loads of sand, and a single, tiny crab who scuttled about confused.

“So who’re we competing with?” Cloud asked, pouring one final bucket of sand over Cid’s chest before slipping out from under the umbrella’s protection. The volleyball net was closer to the opposite end of the beach- the side where Sephiroth was sulking, or doing whatever. It was still a little surprising he was even still with them.

“Oh you guys all have red bracelets?” Tifa murmured, twisting the aqua-coloured beads on her own wrist. Cloud put a hand to his neck, looking away. Tifa had been amazing at any sport she tried back when they had been younger… If she was on the opposing team, he could only hope the other two members were less athletic to any degree… Reeve, maybe? 

“I think I see your teammates over there!” Aerith said, pointing behind her. And Cloud unabashedly peeked around her to size up the competition. 

“You got a blue bracelet? I know I’ve got one!” Zack shouted, the volleyball clutched under his arm as he dashed toward them. “Our last teammate’s waiting for us at the net!”

Cloud felt his shoulders drop. With Cid sleeping behind him, Barret in the sea, Nanaki and Reeve digging for shells with Denzel, and Yuffie recovering back at the hotel- there was only one other person who could be the last member of the blue team. Cloud pulled Vincent aside for a moment, and stood on his toes to reach his ear, hoping he didn’t appear too conspicuous. 

“You ever play volleyball before?” He whispered, eyeing Zack and Tifa warily. They laughed with Aerith, like they weren’t opposing soldiers on a very nasty warfront. Why had Aerith put all the experienced players on one team? Tifa, Zack, and Sephiroth?! Did she want to lose?

“Never.” Vincent replied, looking down at him. 

“Me neither.” Cloud replied honestly, giving his feet a break as he tried to come up with a plan to win… Or maybe just not humiliate himself. He hadn’t spoken to Sephiroth since the man had confessed his feelings for him, and while Cloud was generally reserved, he just couldn’t figure out a way to look him in the eyes again. Now he was practically being forced. “What should we do?”

Vincent paused for a moment, contemplating his options before his red eyes slid back to Cloud's, looking nearly amused despite the fact he rarely smiled. 

“You could always just pay for their dinner.”

Approaching the net took a sort of confidence Cloud didn’t know he needed- it was the confidence of the ignorant, but Cloud wasn’t ignorant anymore. He was painfully aware of every single one of Sephiroth’s movements, of his actions, even of the sideways glance he gave to Tifa when she moved to stand next to him. He even noticed when a hot breeze blew up the man’s shirt and gave an even fuller view of his well-curved chest and abdomen. When had Cloud ever given a shit about another man’s chest? And then he just had to run his fingers through his long silver hair, his damn hair tie in his mouth because he couldn’t spare another hand with how thick his hair was-

“You look pretty focused, Cloud,” Aerith said easily, popping him on the shoulder as she gave him one of the cheeriest, fakest smiles he had ever seen. She was plotting something. Cloud had no idea what, but it was written all over her face and it was evil. She didn’t even like sports, why was she asking them to play? “Ready to win?”

Cloud used all the strength Gaia had bestowed upon him to rip his eyes away and motioned her and Vincent back a few steps.

“How’re we winning this?” He asked, glancing between both of their faces, but mostly glaring at Aerith. Cloud had long since learned that he and Vincent were one of the same kind. If a problem came up, shooting or slashing it till it was dead was probably the only solution they’d think up. Tact was only employed after that method failed them. “Were you thinking of using Vincent’s transportation skill? Or my enhanced strength? That was the reason you put us on the team together, right?”

Aerith put a hand to her mouth and laughed, completely unphased by how tightly Cloud’s eyebrows were knitted together. “Zack made the teams, silly. I just agreed to play!” When Cloud felt his jaw drop for a second, she winked and tossed the volleyball up in the air before catching it securely. “It's not like we’re competing seriously or anything.”

“So this was Zack’s idea…?” Cloud murmured, looking up to glare at his dark-haired friend from across the net. Of course, there was no other way Sephiroth and Tifa would have ended up on the same team then. It was always usually Cloud and Tifa. 

“You guys serve first!” Zack shouted suddenly, squatting and sticking his arms out in front of him. Sephiroth and Tifa took similar stances. Their positioning was like a triangle, with Zack and Tifa nearest to the net and Sephiroth standing guard near the back. “You guys are gonna need it!”

“Do you guys wanna serve…?” Cloud asked as Aerith tossed him the ball encouragingly, and Vincent gave him a slightly withering look that looked like something close to a ‘good luck’. He pursed his lips for a second before backing up and tossing the ball in his hand to get a feel for it. All he had to do was hit the ball in bounds on the other side of the net. Theoretically it didn’t sound too bad. 

Cloud tried not to focus on the sweat that threatened to drip down his cheek, or the intense gaze he was receiving from across the net and threw the volley ball into the air, jumping and smacking his palm down on it hard. The ball went spinning to the opposite side of the court, but it didn’t stay there long. Tifa sent it right back, smacking Vincent hard enough the ball went bouncing off his head- but not over the net. Cloud didn’t think before his legs moved, he lunged, sliding on the sand stomach down as he used the back of his foot to propel the ball back into the air. 

“Hit it over the net, Vincent!” He shouted, but instead of hitting the ball, Vincent clumsily tripped over one of Cloud’s outstretched legs, his massive wings just fluttering out from under his cape to send the ball to the other side. The ball soared harmlessly over Tifa and Zack’s heads and began descending right before Sephiroth, who returned it with such force, it continued to spin when it hit the opposite side of the court, white sand spilling out from underneath it. Then, like it was possessed, the ball bounced off towards the sea. 

Cloud, Aerith, and Vincent just stared for a second as it floated harmlessly on the lapping waves before catching in the wet sand. 

“Alright! One point for team blue!” Zack cheered, turning to high-five his teammates. Cloud let his head drop back into the sand. “Where’d you learn to play like that, Seph? You killed it!” 

“I actually spent some time here with Angeal and Genesis a few years back.” Sephiroth explained, his eyes attempting to catch Cloud’s gaze over the net. The blonde didn’t let him, he pretended to focus on his sand-encrusted shorts even though he knew no amount of patting would free him of it. “Genesis enjoys this sport so I entertained him often enough.”

“We make a good team.” Tifa added, smiling as Zack nodded enthusiastically. 

“We- we need a second!” Cloud said generally, pulling Vincent and Aerith aside once again for a brief meeting. He pointedly ignored Zack’s protests of ‘we just started!’ and pulled them in, his voice lowered. “They’re good. Really good. We won’t beat em’ without a plan.”

Vincent nodded in understanding, and Aerith giggled, thoughtfully. She didn’t need to say anything for Cloud to know they were bad thoughts.

“We should seduce them! Between Cloud and I all three of them would be distracted! Then all Vincent would have to do is spike the ball-”

“What are you even saying? We don’t need to sell ourselves, it's not that dire. Not yet .” Cloud muttered, feeling heat climb up his neck that was definitely the start of a sunburn and not anything close to embarrassment. Aerith was the queen of saying odd, irrelevant things. “I was thinking Vincent should stay in the back. Anytime someone sends a ball that flies over either of our heads, he should transport to it and hit it back towards the net. Then, depending on the direction, either Aerith or I hit it onto the other side of the net.”

“Sounds doable.” Vincent nodded, his forehead a pale pinkish colour where he got smacked. Cloud felt bad for him, but his burning desire to make Zack regret all of his life choices was a little stronger than his sympathy.

“What do we do about Sephiroth?” Aerith asked, finally serious.

“Aim our hits towards Zack or Tifa- we can at least return it to one of them… Probably.”

The following matches were a painful time of them failing to return both Zack and Tifa's spikes. Despite their strategy, Zack would block, Sephiroth would constantly keep the ball off the sand, and Tifa somehow always hit the ball in a corner of their poorly paved court that no one could reach in time. The few points Cloud’s team even had was from the few times the volleyball had been hit out of bounds by the red team and sent towards the shoreline.

“W-wait a second,” Cloud ordered, plopping down onto the sand. For a second he just tried to create an artificial breeze via his shirt and then realised Sephiroth had stopped his serve to raise an interested looking eyebrow toward him. There was sweat dripping down his neck, down his back- Cloud could even feel it catching on the waistband of his shorts. If something didn’t change, the sun would beat them before Tifa and Sephiroth did. He looked down towards his sandals. “I think if- if someone hits the ball out of bounds they should be forced to sit out for the following round and let Cait take their place.”

The silence that followed Cloud’s statement was almost serene: the sound of waves crashing against the shore, the occasional seagull call, and of course the sound of Marlene’s laughter ringing from across the beach. Cloud might have enjoyed it had his skin not been melting off.

“You do realise half of the points we have are from your own team hitting out of bounds?” Tifa said, the edge of her mouth curling up into a smile. She had always been naturally athletic, and naturally inclined towards sports- she wouldn’t understand Cloud’s round-about way of trying to score some points. “Wouldn’t a rule like that hurt you more than help you?”

“Worry about your own team, Tifa.” Cloud said, rising back to his feet to dust off his hands.  Aerith laughed a little, but straightened up as soon as he glanced toward her. 

“It's just a game, Cloud. No need to be so serious.” She chided, though she was clearly amused by him. Cloud could be filling out a form for half an hour and Aerith would still probably laugh at him- she was just like that. 

“I take my games seriously.” Cloud muttered, getting into a ready stance. He nodded towards Vincent who also readied himself and then looked forward with a determined expression. His new plan was simple: get either Sephiroth or Tifa out and replaced by Cait Sith. That would at least give them a chance.

“Okay, Cloudy. Don’t get mad when Cait Sith becomes a permanent member on your team!” Zack laughed, but Cloud didn’t react to his teasing. He just made a mental note to sneak laxatives into his dinner later on. 

And then Sephiroth served: it was a beautiful, perfect sort of serve where he started out running and then transitioned into a jump- his dark, satiny wings flapping for a beat as he gained a bit more air and then slammed his open palm against the ball, sending it flying towards them with the force of a rocket.

Previously when Sephiroth had served, Cloud had just watched the ball land behind him and thanked Gaia he wasn’t fighting against him anymore. Now, they didn’t have any more points to lose. With the urgency of someone who hadn’t scored a single, honest point, he received the ball on his forearms, the force of it making him grit his teeth, and then bumped it back sending all of the momentum plus a bit of his own towards the silver-haired demon. It was Zack who attempted to send the ball back over the net, but Vincent didn’t let him. With a gust of wind from his wings, the ball went straight towards Tifa, who had no problem returning it with enough force to hurt someone.

Aerith received that ball, her arms pressed together as she tried to bump it back towards the opposite team, but Zack blocked it easily, winking as he used his height to his advantage. Cloud grimaced, but dived for the ball, his fist just giving it the lift Aerith needed to spike it again- and miraculously she managed to hit it just around Zack’s bulky body. With a foreboding smack, the ball hit the sand…just outside of the boundary line.

“Aerith…” Cloud said, pushing himself off the ground to look in her direction. The sand stuck to the sweat on his skin, irritating and rough, but it didn’t compare to the look she was giving him. Aerith stared back at him, her green eyes a little clouded and lost; all of their previous mirth was gone. “You- that-”

“Did someone call?” Cait Sith chirped, flicking his sunglasses off his nose to toddle onto the court. Cloud didn’t even want to acknowledge him. 

“I tried my best, Cloud.” She said, her eyes flickering toward her sandaled feet. She wiggled her painted toes like it might distract her and then looked up, distant and sad. Cloud lurched forward, words he wasn’t sure of on the tip of his tongue. Instead of saying anything he just pursed his lips, and lowered his head, taking ahold of her outstretched fingers. “I know you’ll make it without me- just don’t forget okay?”

“We’ll never forget.” Cloud nodded. Vincent placed a supportive hand on his shoulder before pulling Cloud back towards the net. They had a match to win. 

“It's for one round, drama queens!” Zack shouted, wiping his eyes from the laughing fit Cloud had very purposefully ignored. “You’ll be okay!”

Now the sun was high in the sky, its rays scorching and nearly punishing as their game crawled on. Part of Cloud wanted to shout in anger because Sephiroth hadn’t even started to sweat. He was standing in his not even slightly buttoned shirt now, looking cool and- and winning . That was the most frustrating part. 

“This is it.” Cloud declared, gripping the sides of his shirt and flinging it outside the bounds of their playing arena. He was sweating way too much to continue with a shirt on in weather that was hot enough to evaporate the entire ocean. Cait Sith followed his lead, tearing his own hibiscus-printed shirt off and tossing it near to where Cloud had discarded his. Then they both turned toward Vincent, who very humbly removed his headband and set it beside their things. “Now we’re getting serious.”

They had three points until the blue team won, and with their score at 4 to 10, Cloud wasn’t even sure how he was still so fired up about winning. Now it was about avenging the loss of Aerith. He just had to get someone out, that was all… Well, Zack preferably.

The following three rounds went by so fast, Cloud wasn’t even sure if he got a proper sunburn across his back. It was like he blinked, and then Zack was high-fiving everyone in sight and cheering like a kid winning his first chocobo race. 

Disappointment was present, but more than anything Cloud felt himself in a lockhold with revenge. 

“Good game.” Sephiroth said suddenly, standing before him with his arm outstretched. His slim fingers remained for a second, inching toward him as Cloud made the mistake of glancing up at his face. Sephiroth was smiling, his lashes casting a dark shadow on his reddened cheeks. It was an expression devoid of pride, scorn- of everything Cloud was accustomed to when it came to Sephiroth. He just looked normally happy - an expression Cloud was getting more and more familiar with.

The question fell to why he felt his own lips tugging upwards when he saw that smile. He had lost, there was nothing for him to be happy about.

Cloud didn’t realise he had been staring until Vincent took the offered hand for half a second and then dropped it like he had been burned. 

“Alright.” He replied, like that was a normal response to Sephiroth’s comment. Cloud would have chuckled if he hadn’t been put on the spot. Instead, he grabbed his shirt and gave a somewhat nervous wave towards Sephiroth and Vincent and made his escape. He would get back at Zack later. 

“Zack!” Aerith said, shoving him with her elbow. The SOLDIER immediately stopped mid-victory dance and kneeled down beside her. “Stop dancing and go talk to him!”

Sephiroth released a disappointed sigh as Zack approached him, shaking his head. “Did you see that, Zack?” He walked what he deemed a significant distance away from Vincent, whom he was positive was enhanced, and let his shoulders sag. “Not even a word.”

“That's ‘cause you scared him off earlier, Seph.” Zack explained, wrapping an arm around his shoulders as he tried to comfort him discreetly. Nothing Zack did was remotely discreet. “Cloud is jumpy- you gotta be subtle, smooth.”

After paying for a very expensive dinner- Vincent still had no gil to his name, and Aerith was a shrewd business woman herself- Cloud had plopped down in his plush hotel bed and prayed for the nothingness sleep usually brought him. But, nothing was easy in life, and anytime Cloud wanted something he often found it just out of his grasp. Generally speaking, Cloud was someone that could sleep anywhere, he usually felt tired enough to just ignore his surroundings and drift off, but recently that wasn’t the case. 

Ever since Sephiroth had confessed to him, anytime Cloud shut his eyes or let his mind wander it would flash straight back to the memory. Try as he would to forget it and just act normal- he couldn’t. That was part of the reason he couldn’t even speak to Sephiroth anymore; anytime he looked at the General, the only thing he could think about was the confession, how wrong it had been, and how awkward things were. And the worst part? He felt like Tifa and his friends could just look at him and see it. Cloud felt like they could look at him and just know he was acting off. 

And that was the other, final nail in the coffin. Why was Cloud even bothered? He had lived his entire life without romance, aside from Tifa when they were younger, but that had died quickly in the face of his mother’s illness. Tifa had left for Midgar, and Cloud had to stay behind in Nibelheim. It was inevitable. Relationships died as time passed, just like people. Sephiroth was a rich, attractive celebrity- even without Shinra he was all of those things. If Cloud had dared to accept his confession that day, he probably would have been tossed out in a year or two anyway. It was better just to avoid the whole mess from the start.

“Cloud?” Denzel whispered, the edge of his tiny foot just at Cloud’s knee. Of the two beds in the tiny room Reeve had secured, Cloud and Denzel shared one while Zack and Nanaki slept in the other. 

“Hm?” Cloud murmured, shifting to face the younger boy. Denzel was already facing his direction, as if he had been mustering his courage to call out to the blonde for the past hour. 

“Why did General Sephiroth-” When Denzel started his question, Cloud audibly sucked in a breath, tensing. The boy paused again, looking down shamefully before meeting Cloud’s eyes. He seemed a little out of place. Then he changed his words. “When you were gone, after the race, Marlene and Uncle Barret were super worried. Tifa was too. I think she cried.”

Cloud would have dropped his head in shame if he hadn’t already been laying down. All of this stress, the financial situation- the injuries… It was all because of his choice to help Reeve. It was too late to regret anything now, but the pressure the kids must have felt was probably immeasurable. He couldn't even promise him it wouldn’t happen again. He had made big enemies now. “I’m… I’m sorry, Denzel.”

It was a weak, practically meaningless phrase, but it was all he could say to the boy. Cloud hated how unreliable he was, but he didn’t know how to fix it either.

Regardless, it seemed to give Denzel the confidence he needed and suddenly the boy looked up, his eyes shining bright in the darkness. 

“If he tries to kidnap you again, you can just use your powers and- and  tell him that you have to stay with us.” Denzel said, his words tripping over one another in his hurry to be heard. “Then he’ll stop being weird and we’ll all be together again. Just us, like how it was before.”

Cloud blinked, slightly at a loss as to where the conversation had headed. 

“You- you’re talking about Sephiroth?” When Denzel nodded, his eyes still bright, Cloud had to take a second to drag an exhausted hand down his face. Of course he was talking about Sephiroth. “He didn’t kidnap me, Denzel. He saved my life-”

“Because he like-likes you though, right? So then-”

Cloud shifted, swinging his feet over the bed. There was no way he was having this conversation- not now, not ever. “No it's not like that, Denz.” Cloud ran a nervous hand through his hair before fully standing and shambling towards the door. What if Zack or Nanaki heard? “You rest up, I’m just gonna grab some water. Don’t- don’t think too hard about it.”

It was the best advice he could give him. Cloud was currently trying to follow it himself. Without waiting for Denzel to reply, he slipped out the door and half ran half shuffled down the hallway, desperate to get rid of the nervous energy coiled inside him. He distinctly remembered when Sephiroth had admitted to doing the same thing when they had shared dinner back at the hot springs. He sighed to himself. Why did all of his thoughts lead back to Sephiroth? They hadn’t even known each other for that long. 

Cloud wasn’t able to mentally berate himself much longer. He hadn’t gotten far when he caught sight of a long shadow climbing the wall, a silent figure following. Instinctively, he found himself ducking down behind a vase of flowers taller than he was, and pressing himself as close to the wall as was physically possible. 

He saw a pair of pristine leather boots before anything else and then all of Sephiroth came into view, as daunting as he was compelling. Sephiroth strode down the hallway, dressed fully in his usual leather uniform, his hair loose as it spilled over his shoulders. Masamune, his renowned sword, was clasped in his hand, his knuckles nearly translucent with how tightly it was gripped. 

The first thought that crossed Cloud’s mind was betrayal. The second was curiosity. Neither thought prompted him to stay behind the vase. Cloud followed him outside the hotel like a shadow, his bare feet silent as he dashed around corners and buildings until Sephiroth stopped.  They had made it to a densely packed residential area that had more narrow alleyways and nooks than Nibelheim had people. Cloud almost dashed out, but immediately hid himself behind the corner of an adjacent building, his heart hammering in his chest. It was clear Sephiroth was waiting for someone. Then he heard it.

“Shinra dearly misses its General. SOLDIER just doesn’t operate the same way without you.” Tseng’s familiar voice said, his dark shoes devoid of dust and sand- a near impossible feat in Costa del Sol. “President Rufus sends his regards.”

From where Cloud was kneeling, he couldn’t see Sephiroth’s expression but he imagined he raised an interested brow. 

“President?”

Tseng let out a haughty scoff, like he hadn’t come here to deliver that news to Sephiroth himself. Cloud felt his eyes roll. This was the same guy he and Yuffie had beat up in the elevator. “President Shinra senior died mysteriously this morning.” The smirk in his voice was obvious. “As his first and only son, Rufus Shinra will be taking his place.”

“You wouldn’t have travelled across the sea to just tell me this.” Sephiroth said, and Cloud saw him take a threatening step toward the Turk. The blonde remembered what it felt like to be the person standing against Sephiroth- the General of Shinra could be terrifying when he wanted to be. 

“How do you think I found you today, General?” Tseng asked innocently, his hands folded behind his back as he began to circle Sephiroth. With his dark suit and hair Cloud was immediately reminded of a vulture. He didn’t wait for Sephiroth to answer. “Despite it being our specialty, not a single Turk had to raise a finger to find you thanks to the efforts of Professor Hojo. Did you know he implanted a tracker in your wrist when you were just three years old?”

Cloud looked down at his feet, his mind suddenly blank. Sephiroth was mutated too. Of course he also had dealings with a batshit scientist- one even crazier than Hollander by the sound of it. Sephiroth had grown up with that scientist since he was little. Cloud had known that for a while now, but it only really seemed to become clear to him now. All of his socially-awkward tendencies, the fact he had never shared a coffee with someone- that was all because of Hojo. 

The way he approached relationships was probably because of that scientist too.

  “Finding me and apprehending me are two very different things.” Sephiroth stated plainly, not a hint of emotion in his voice. Cloud couldn’t see his face, or even glean what he was feeling. He could only stare helplessly at his tense posture and wonder who was going to throw the first punch. 

“General, please. I didn’t come here to apprehend you. I came here to give you an offer.” Tseng finally quit moving and stopped with his back to Cloud, forcing Sephiroth to turn. His jaw was devastatingly angled in the night, shadows carving his face to create someone that looked nearly inhuman. “President Rufus is planning on defunding the science department- this will obviously affect the professor; however, we want to ensure the utmost safety of our employees as well as their comfort. If you choose to return to Shinra, President Rufus will happily work to accommodate you once again.”

Sephiroth glared, his usually bright eyes nearly narrowed to slits. 

“And if I refuse to be ‘accommodated’?”

“I chose to inform you about the chip in your wrist. To say that is the only one would be far-fetched.” Tseng said, his customer-service voice melting away to leave the cold hardass Cloud remembered more clearly. “You’re not travelling alone I recall? In the case we do fail to apprehend you, there are plenty of targets within your current company that would work as excellent leverage.”

“You do realise who you’re making an enemy out of?” Sephiroth paused for a moment before surging forward and grabbing Tseng by the collar of his shirt. The movement had been so sudden, Cloud didn’t even realise it had happened until he blinked and saw Tseng pinned against the wall, Sephiroth’s sword fully drawn and pressed against his neck. “I haven’t forgotten what you did to him at the Shinra fundraiser.”

“You- you’re the one…?” Tseng murmured, looking up suddenly and peering at Sephiroth like he was looking at someone new. Sephiroth released him and stepped back, somewhat at a loss himself, almost like his words had been a mistake. 

“Leave. I don’t want to see you again.” Sephiroth ordered, his voice cold and detached. Tseng sunk to the ground for a moment, collecting himself, before returning to his feet and straightening his tie like he hadn’t been about to be skewered. “You can inform the president I refuse.”

Tseng glanced at him, wariness clear in his dark eyes before bowing his head and turning to walk in the direction he had arrived in. Part of Cloud wanted to follow after the Turk, but he would have to pass Sephiroth to do that, and that could entail confrontation. That meant all he could do was slink back into the shadows and head back to the hotel. It had already been quite the night. 

Before Cloud could get a headstart, Sephiroth switched his grip on Masamune, pushing the edge of the blade against the thin skin of his wrist. Cloud watched for a horrified second before the General sliced, his blood bright against his pale skin. Then, without even furrowing his brow, he tore something viciously from the wound and tossed it onto the ground. 

Cloud felt his feet move before he could even acknowledge it was the tracker Tseng had mentioned. 

“What the hell’re you doing?!” He demanded, grabbing ahold of Sephiroth’s lower arm. The movement was sudden enough that some of the blood that had pooled in the laceration dripped down, staining Cloud’s pale, shaking fingers a deep red. 

“Cloud? I didn’t notice you followed me…” Sephiroth said, looking down at his shoes a moment before glancing back towards his face. All of his previous hostility was gone, replaced by what looked like shock and the slightest tinge of confusion. Cloud would have laughed if he hadn’t been holding his mutilated arm. “I’m afraid my negligence may have endangered you and your group’s wellbeing-”

“What are you even on about? What were you thinking?” Cloud muttered, his mind whirring as he tried to think of a safe, clean method to patch Sephiroth up then and there. He ripped the bottom half of his t-shirt, messily trying to staunch the blood flow. He could clean the wound once they got back to the hotel, he at least needed to make sure he got there. “You’re bleeding so much.”

The last time Cloud had seen this blood was when Yuffie’s back had been sliced open, and he had been too beat himself to react. Seeing blood always reminded Cloud of one thing: his mother. He had spent so much time trying to help her, and then one evening after work he had come home to find her bleeding out of all her orifices, completely unresponsive. Organ failure the doctors had told him later on. Blood still reminded him, even years later.

Cloud was still wrapping his arm, gently but securely, when he realised Sephiroth had been silent for a moment. He glanced up towards the man to find his lips just curving at the corners. Of course he was smiling. What psychotic idiot didn’t smile after slashing their own wrist?

Cloud glared at him for a second before returning his attention to his arm. “What are you smiling about?” Sephiroth was still gripping Masamune like he was ready to have round two with his arm, though his gaze was determinedly fixed on the back of Cloud’s head as he worked. “You just cut yourself if you don’t remember.”

“I was just under the impression we were not on speaking terms.” Sephiroth explained, amusement clear in his voice. 

Cloud felt embarrassment flood his mind as he recalled everything, his fingers nearly dropping the final loop he had made around Sephiroth’s injured wrist, but, with the last modicum of his pride, he caught it and continued, pretending to be unphased. He couldn’t help but respond with his tongue in cheek. “I was talking to your arm.”

“ By all means then- please, don’t let me interrupt this important conversation.” Sephiroth replied snidely, his familiar smirk back in place though Cloud was sure he was in pain. After tying off the makeshift gauze, Cloud wiped his bloodied hands on the remainder of his shirt and tried to ignore the fact Sephiroth was still watching him closely, affection clouding his emerald eyes.

“You know, a while ago you told me I shouldn’t do shit alone.” Cloud started, his tone coming out more angry than he meant it to. He paused for a second, biting his lip while he tried to subdue his growing frustration and then let it come out in a slew of admonishing comments. “Well you should have told someone you were coming out here. What if Tseng had brought more people? Or if-”

“I’ll inform you next time, Cloud.” Sephiroth smiled, his eyes creasing at the edges, the barest hint of teeth visible between his lush lips. It wasn’t like any of his previous smiles- it was vulnerable, and raw, and- and so unlike him. The expression completely changed his face, making his usually angled eyes appear soft, and almost pleasing; it made Cloud’s heart skip a beat. “If I had realised you were here, I wouldn’t-”

“It doesn’t matter if I’m here or not. You shouldn’t be fucking yourself up either way.” Cloud glanced over his shoulder, desperate to see his expression one more time before it disappeared and then sighed completely ashamed of himself. “I’m not even gonna ask what you're smiling about now.”

“I didn’t know you worried about me, Cloud.” Sephiroth dipped his head for a moment, leaning just close enough for his hair to tumble over his shoulder and tickle Cloud’s chin. If he wanted, all Cloud would have to do was take a single step forward to seal their lips together. Instead, he stared defiantly into Sephiroth’s eyes, his heart pounding against his ribcage. “I appreciate the attention.”

Chapter Text

“The volleyball plan was a complete failure! They’re still not talking!” Zack exclaimed, plopping down in the seat beside Aerith, his tower of eggs, pancakes, and sausage leaning dangerously to one side. With a huff, he set the plate down and then mercilessly doused everything in enough maple syrup to make even Yuffie look away. “I thought friendly competition was a great way to ignite feelings.”

“So on to my plan then?” Cait Sith chirped, swinging his feet happily across from the Second Class SOLDIER. He had a fork and knife clasped dutifully in his hands, a full plate sitting in front of him, and a mug of coffee. He hadn’t touched even a bite of it. “My plan has a success rate of 99.9%, and a 30% chance of ending in a marriage that lasts more than one year.”

“You haven’t got anyone married. Not even your owner is married!” Yuffie pointed out crassly. Having been left out of the previous day’s events due to her motion sickness, she was more than a little peeved. She discreetly plucked a sausage from Zack’s plate and chewed sullenly. “Cloud could do so much better than him anyway.”

“Cloud is an adult man. He knows what he wants.” Barret muttered, shaking his head. He took an angry bite of his stack of pancakes and then hit the table with his prosthetic arm like he was making the final judgement in a courtroom. “If two people like each other, they don’t need help.”

Before anyone could make a comment on that, Denzel came skidding through the diner’s entry doors, Nanaki just at his heels. Cloud, despite sharing their room, was nowhere in sight.

“Cloud was gone for most of last night! He said he was gonna get water and then-” Denzel paused, latching onto the back of Cait’s chair to slow his run, and then swallowed suddenly, his eyes wide like he hadn’t meant to expose the blonde. Denzel was usually polite, if a little reserved. Usually when he saw Tifa or Barret in the morning, he wouldn’t forget the usual morning pleasantries, but apparently whatever had occurred the previous night was jarring enough to make him forget his usual reservations. Tifa set down her plate of sausage, bacon, and scrambled eggs and looked towards the boy earnestly.  “Don’t tell him I told you, but he didn’t come back until, like, morning. He was gone for the entire night!”

For a moment, nobody said anything to Denzel’s exclamation. It was like a hush of silence had come over them- each person with a different idea as to where the blonde might have gone. Tifa didn’t want to ask why Sephiroth seemed to be late to breakfast too.

As if summoned by her thoughts, Sephiroth and Reeve entered the diner, conversing in low, hushed voices as they made their way to the tables she and Barret had pushed together. 

“Good morning!” Reeve greeted the table, looking as energized as everyone had felt before Denzel had dropped his bomb. Sephiroth nodded in greeting before slipping off to the buffet, as quiet as he usually was. Tifa had learned that more quiet, reserved people often had a very intricate inner-monologue; she wasn’t sure she was too keen on figuring out Sephiroth’s. She had been trying to piece together Cloud’s for the past few years. “I have very distinct and interesting results regarding the hypothesis I mentioned to you all the day before yesterday-”

He paused, counting the heads around the table before sitting down, some of his enthusiasm drained. 

“Where's Cloud?”

“I’m here.” Cloud groaned, walking half into the diner before slipping into the chair beside Reeve. Dark smudges of purple were visible beneath his eyes, his expression narrowed like he had something personal against the warm, fluorescent lights that glared down on them. He had come to work looking like this often enough that Tifa had grown accustomed to his generally decrepit look. Seeing him like this on the first day of their vacation, she couldn’t help but feel a little bad for him. “I’ve got an update of my own.”

“Mornin’ sunshine.” Cid said, nudging Vincent with his elbow before tucking his napkin into the top of his shirt. Tifa gave him a look to which he made a zipping motion over his lips, and proceeded to cut into his egg muffin. 

“You start,” Reeve offered, a crease in his usually mild expression. Tifa hadn’t spoken to him often enough to know him well, but Cloud trusted him and he seemed nice in the passing moments she had spoken to him. It wasn’t everyday a higher-up in Shinra took it upon themselves to try and right the wrongs in their own company. She respected him for that.

Just as Cloud was about to begin, Sephiroth slipped into the chair beside him holding not one but two plates. Nobody made any gesture to indicate they had noticed it, but Tifa felt her eyes widen a smidge as Sephiroth placed one before himself and then the blonde. She bit the inside of her cheek when she noted he had prepared a plate perfect for the blonde, with not a vegetable in sight. 

“We had an encounter with a Turk last night. President Shinra is dead.” Cloud said coldly, like talking about a murder in front of the kids in the morning was just business as usual. Barret choked, nearly spilling his orange juice. Tifa wasn’t sure she should sigh about his lack of pretense, or just in general. 

“And Rufus has taken his place I presume?” Reeve asked, shaking his head. He cursed under his breath before grabbing the coffee from in front of Cait and sipping it. “I didn’t realise how far ahead his timeline was. I recall him reaching out to you about an assassination, but it seems like he wasn’t waiting for anyone.”

“How does this affect our current plan?” Vincent suddenly inquired, seeming unsurprised by Cloud’s statement. Tifa didn’t know if he had expected such an outcome, or if he just had trouble expressing his emotions. A good portion of her reasoning said it was the latter, but she wasn’t positive. He never spoke more than twenty words in any conversation. “Is Rufus planning on carrying out his father’s previous plans?”

“It's difficult to be sure, however,” Sephiroth started, his green eyes on Cloud as the blonde hunkered down to begin inhaling his breakfast. He seemed to know as well as anyone that once Cloud started eating, he wouldn’t speak until finished. “Tseng did attempt to blackmail me back into service.”

“Well you’re a strong ally to have.” Zack reasoned, fighting with the dregs of syrup on his plate. He seemed to fail to realise he couldn’t pick it up with his fork. Aerith pushed a spoon into his hands, relieving one source of Tifa’s stress. “Course he’d want you back on the team.”

“So you were there last night.” Yuffie mumbled, earning a questioning look from the silver-haired General. Tifa averted her eyes, afraid of how the younger girl was going to pursue her interrogation. “What else happened? Huh?”

“Nothing important.” Sephiroth confirmed coolly, his eyes tracing the curve of Cloud’s jaw. He seemed content with that much of an explanation before turning to Reeve, leaving Tifa on the very furthest edge of her seat. Was he deliberately being mysterious, or was he hiding something? She still wasn’t willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, even now after he had saved Cloud’s life a few times.“I will need a full scan of my body once we return to Midgar- given you have the resources to perform one. Professor Hojo has apparently hidden multiple tracking devices within my body.”

For a single, horrified second everyone was quiet as they absorbed that piece of information- they thought about its meaning, and the impact it would have on them. Tifa specifically thought about what it meant for Sephiroth as a person. Despite disliking him, she couldn’t help the ounce of sympathy that slipped into her heart. He had clearly been a puppet to Shinra, but she hadn’t realised it was to that extent. 

“Of course…” Reeve paused a second longer, a thoughtful look in his eyes before clasping his hands together. That same excited gleam had returned to his warm eyes and she quickly noticed that it was an indication he was about to start discussing his research again.  “Well if you two are done?”

“Go ahead,” Cloud nodded before turning and whispering something to Sephiroth. Tifa did not miss the way Sephiroth’s lips quirked up, his features brightening and completely erasing the usual coldness he had. She glanced toward Aerith, trying to silently communicate, and earned a wink in response. 

“So, just like I assumed: there were no monster attacks here, is that correct?” Reeve continued, completely ignoring the interaction. Tifa could only stare at her hands, at a complete loss for the emotion she was experiencing. When had Sephiroth and Cloud gotten so… so close ?

“Haven’t even seen a darn animal near these parts.” Cid replied, kicking back to cross his arms contemplatively. Then, as if he remembered, he turned to Vincent. “Well, aside from him.”

Vincent proceeded to stare back, completely unphased by the comment. 

“I assumed the monster attacks had stopped because you had brought one of those sensor repellers.” Nanaki said, taking a small bite out of the muffin Aerith had pushed onto his plate. Despite his reluctance to vocalise his taste preferences, Tifa made note the cat had a fondness for sweet, rich tasting foods.

 “No, unfortunately, once those are planted in an area they are very difficult to remove, but I believe this brings to light an interesting question: what in Midgar is causing the monsters to go rabid?” Reeve asked again, looking like he was just barely keeping himself from getting up and pacing around the diner. 

“I thought you said it was the green sprite that Shinra was implanting animals with?” Aerith said, tilting her head innocently. Tifa gave a supportive nod, having thought similarly. 

“Yes, the implanted spirit from the Shinra science department is causing them to go rabid, but-” Reeve paused again for dramatic effect, his eyes sweeping over everyone. “What I meant to ask is what is drawing them to you?”

“Cloud asked you this question previously.” Vincent said coldly, his red eyes narrowed. Tifa immediately recognised it as his signature glare- something so icy it made her shudder. “If you have an answer, say it.”

“I understand my next statement is going to be as bold as it is alarming, but,” Reeve swallowed before locking eyes with Cloud, Vincent, and then Tifa. “I’m making an educated guess and saying I believe Shinra is attempting to master mind control.”

Tifa felt her hand shoot out under the table to squeeze Denzel’s, her thumb rubbing over the soft skin in an effort to comfort him. Truthfully, the motion was mainly to comfort herself. 

“Mind control? How would they even manage that?” Barret asked aloud, his usually soft eyes suddenly clouded by shock and terror. Tifa knew her own expression probably mirrored his. 

“First, they practise on animals. You can’t control a person without being able to control an animal first.” Reeve looked down then, his eyes falling to his tightly clasped hands. “Initially, the attacks were random. Once Hollander had injected Cloud and Nanaki with cells, didn’t they seem to become a lot more specific?”

“The fighting was nonstop. I remember the toll it took on everyone.” Nanaki agreed, briefly glancing at Cloud. That was probably the duration of time Cloud had become so buddy buddy with Sephiroth. Tifa couldn’t stop the pang of jealousy that arrived with that thought. 

“My point exactly: Shinra had a target, and they used monsters to pursue it. Next, we figure out about an injection being tried out on women in Sector 6. It's intended to make people more compliant. What does that sound like?” Cid let out a slew of curses at Reeve’s continuation, a dark understanding passing across his face.  “Finally, Sephiroth’s usual mako injections have made him weak to magic. That shouldn’t be an easy feat for someone as powerful as Shinra’s strongest General, yet the science department made an effort to accomplish it.”

“And then the president’s untimely death. If the drug was completed recently, it would stand for Rufus to feel the need to act. He would want to be the one to inherit such a tool.” Sephiroth murmured, his lips pursed. After concluding Reeve’s points, Tifa couldn’t help but feel the evidence was undeniable. Shinra really was trying to master mind control. 

“What does a weakness to magic have to do with anything?” Yuffie asked, glancing at Sephiroth for an angry second.

“Think about it: you have incomplete control over someone’s mind, but they’re weak to magic. If you had something like a common manipulate materia you wouldn’t need anything else.” Cloud clenched his hands, a frown pulling at his soft lips. “If they managed to make Sephiroth susceptible to mini, it doesn’t seem that far fetched.”

“How exactly are they controlling people’s minds? If it's through that injection, it's not like it could spread very far efficiently.” Tifa pointed out, looking around the table.

“My guess is they don’t need everyone under their control.” Reeve said, his tone somber. He risked a hesitant glance at Sephiroth before clearing his throat. “They probably have a compressed list of people they need under control at all times.”

Chapter Text

Cloud took account of his mostly discarded blanket before stretching out his toes and just kicking back. Nanaki had been napping with him previously- Vincent too had been oddly perched on the foot of his bed, unmoving for at least half an hour. It had been warm and pleasant, a reprieve from the mountains of snow that were piling up outside. 

 After the Turks had discovered they had been in Costa del Sol, Cloud and his ragtag company had almost immediately been forced to return back to Midgar- their reservation be damned. The blonde still felt poorly about the loss of gil, but it didn’t compare to the risk they would’ve entertained had they stayed. That had left everyone sitting around Reeve’s house, bored and with entirely too much time on their hands. Or at least, Barret had felt that way.

That had been a few months ago now, but regardless Cloud was thriving in the down time. 

The sky was a frosty grey when he looked outside the massive framed window of his room, large puffy clouds littering down a flurry of tiny flakes that blanketed the ground in white. It was the first time in a while that Cloud had woken up and been able to just look outside and admire his surroundings for once. In Reeve’s house he didn’t have to worry about the plate hiding the sky away, or even about gil, or safety… It was crazy thinking about how many things had changed in such a short amount of time. It had only been a few months since he had been genetically mutated and thrown haphazardly into the life of a superhero.

With a sigh the blonde pushed himself off his bed, unsure of where his usual companions had meandered off to and made his way down the stairs, one hand scratching his stomach as he idly glanced at the walls. Tifa had recently started hanging photos around their temporary house- a few photos picturing them from years ago in Nibelheim, Marlene’s graduation photos, Cid’s proposal to Shera. He was surrounded by photos of his friends; she had somehow even managed to snag Vincent, Yuffie, and Nanaki in a few photographs. 

The only person who wasn’t present in any of the photos was Sephiroth. 

Cloud stumbled off the last step, nearly bumping into the wall as he looked over his shoulder somewhat regretfully. They may not have been on the best terms for a long duration of their relationship, but he had helped them out more often than not. Now that Sephiroth had officially joined their group, the blonde couldn’t help but feel he deserved at least one photograph on their wall of memories. 

Before Cloud could deliberate, he nearly walked straight into the man himself, his PHS almost clattering to the ground in their collision. For having honed senses and being battle-hardened and whatnot, when Sephiroth’s head was down in his PHS, he was practically walking around blind. The thought made Cloud’s lips quirk upwards despite himself. 

“Ah, Cloud you’re awake.” Sephiroth acknowledged rather cooly, like he hadn’t just been scrambling for his phone. He was dressed in a coffee-coloured trench coat and a dark turtleneck that seemed to accentuate the paleness of his skin. He looked ready to go out, though the blonde wasn’t sure where to. They were kind of under house arrest with Shinra and all. “Your… Companions wanted us to meet them at Seventh Heaven once you woke up.”

Cloud blinked upwards into Sephiroth’s face for a second, realising that if he hadn’t woken up on his own just then, Sephiroth of all people had probably been on his way to wake him. It seemed so wrongly domestic he just stood there for a second, completely at a loss.

“Sounds good to me. I'll just go throw on a hoodie-” As Cloud retreated back to the warm confines of his room, Sephiroth followed after him like a shadow, incredulity in his tone. 

“Cloud, it's snowing outside.” The taller man leaned on the door frame to his room, almost like he was hesitant to enter. “Having enhancements does not mean you can neglect your health.”

“Midgar's winter is like Nibelheim's spring.” Cloud explained, grabbing a dark sweater from off the foot of his bed. Sephiroth watched him for a moment before clearing his throat and glancing down towards his black boots. “And who're you to talk? You're just wearing that thin jacket.”

“This coat is lined with Cokatolis feathers.” Sephiroth said, pulling the billowing cloth away from his slim figure to display. Cloud would have stopped and laughed at how ridiculous it was to wear something like that, but opted instead to pull on a pair of knitted socks, before going for the edge of a scarf Denzel had made him. “You were born in Nibelheim?”

“Born ‘nd raised.” Cloud confirmed, letting his country accent slip through just a tad bit. He was by no means proud of that information, but he wasn't ashamed of his heritage either… His relationship with his hometown was reluctant at best, a bit like his relationship with Hollander. “What about you? Been in Midgar all your life?”

“Aside from the times I was deployed, yes. I've resided in Midgar for my entire life.” A shadow passed over the General's features then, as brief as it was disheartening. Hojo probably hadn’t been taking him on vacations as a boy. “I don't understand the purpose of travelling outside of deployment.”

“What’d you think of Costa del Sol? You didn’t think it was relaxing?” Cloud asked, lacing up his boots with hurried fingers. If his friends had been waiting for him to wake up, it was possible they could be waiting at Seventh Heaven the entire evening. The least he could do was hurry.

“It was an excessive vacation at best.” Sephiroth said curtly, shaking his head. Cloud raised a brow at that, his fingers just pausing over his other shoe. “I don’t need to travel halfway across Gaia when I could simply sit and enjoy your company, here and now.”

Cloud  met Sephiroth’s eyes head on for a charged second, his mouth opening for words he hadn’t thought of yet. Then he ducked his head, his ears suddenly burning; he hoped Sephiroth hadn’t seen them. More than that, he wondered where the sudden sincerity had stemmed from. For someone that claimed he was just attracted, Sephiroth seemed to have a lot of unexplained sentiment ready to spew at the blonde. 

That was definitely something new… Though, Cloud was still trying to figure out if it was unwelcome. 

“T- tie your hair up and put your helmet on.” The blonde ordered, refusing to address the previous statement. He brushed past Sephiroth who was still leaning by his doorway smugly, and rushed down the stairs, grabbing the keys to Fenrir on his way to the front door. It was only after he had leaped on his bike and Sephiroth had followed him outside, that Cloud got around to thinking how this exactly was going to play out. After a second of both men awkwardly staring, the blonde cleared his throat and pretended to be unaffected. “It's either the bike or we walk. Barret already took his truck.”

Sephiroth stared at him for a moment, his usually bright, expressive eyes unreadable until he approached him experimentally and placed one foot on the foot peg and swung the other leg over gracefully. That was the last second of space Cloud had before they were pressed snugly together- Sephiroth’s legs pressing to his hips and hands warm against his waist. For longer than he meant to, Cloud just blanked… for a second time that day. That was until Sephiroth cleared his throat, his voice slightly obstructed by his helmet.  

“Is there a reason we’re stalling?” 

“Uh, just- just make sure to lean with me.” Cloud murmured, the chill of snow a mere memory with the warmth of another person pressing against him- Sephiroth’s warmth. Without warning, Cloud revved up the engine and sped forward, afraid of lingering any longer in the same moment. He didn’t even hear Sephiroth’s response. 

Driving in a car with Sephiroth was something Cloud had grown used to- the occasional snark about something probably out of his control, the impatience, and of course the constant bickering. It had all become a staple of most of the time they spent together. Riding on his motorcycle constituted a completely different feeling- something more peaceful, something Cloud could find himself looking forward to in the future. With the roar of the wind and Fenrir’s engine, any attempt at talk was swallowed whole, leaving them embraced by nothing more than their own thoughts, and the cold chill of snow that pelted any inch of exposed skin. 

The usual frosty scenes the blonde would have admired blurred into nothing more than white smudges around him, the only distinct shape the fluttering silver of Sephiroth’s hair in his side mirror. Cloud didn’t enjoy doing anything as much as he enjoyed a ride on Fenrir. It didn’t matter the weather, nor the precipitation- so long as he was flying, none of his worries or cares had the chance to keep up with him.

After accepting his fate as Wolf, he hadn’t had the time to enjoy riding, or even to work on Fenrir. Thinking about that now, only made this trip all the sweeter. Leaning forward a bit, Cloud accelerated his bike further, grinning slightly as they flew off the highway and onto a dirt- paved, country road; it was a path he hadn’t taken since Seventh Heaven had closed. 

Cloud was ready to accelerate further, to test the limits of his beloved bike and taste the sweet frosty air from the heavens rather than the earth, until another distinct smell caught his nose. It was the smell of butter and vanilla, of something familiar. Suddenly he was possessed by a renewed sense of purpose.

It didn’t take long for Cloud to find the source of the scent- Midgar’s outskirts weren’t exactly the most populated area, and Cloud had visited this particular place before. It was Kotch’s Kolaches, a place that only opened in the winter since the owner spent the warmer months in Sector 6. With ease, Cloud pulled onto a side road before fully coming to stop and hopped off Fenrir, a childish giddiness lightening his steps and tugging at his lips. 

“Hey, have you ever had kolaches?” He asked, tugging his gloves off his fingers to shove into his pocket. When Sephiroth didn’t move for a second, Cloud tugged his arm to help him back onto his feet and moved forward. “Marlene and Denzel really like this place so I figure we could just grab a few and be on our way.”

Kotch’s Kolaches wasn’t a restaurant, it wasn’t even much of a building at all. It would be better described as something like a food truck, or maybe something more like a stall , considering the fact it didn’t have any apparent wheels. It looked like a tiny, little shack buried up to its walls in snow and ice. Unfortunately, that left Cloud and Sephiroth standing in the deluge of snow, vulnerable to the wet cold that whipped around them. Despite his bragging earlier, it felt like the temperatures were dropping enough to make even Cloud shiver. 

“We’ll have two dozen to go and uh, two for here.” The blonde paused for a second, glancing at the menu to try and suppose what flavour Sephiroth might enjoy before settling on his own, personal favourite. That had been what he’d asked for at the cafe after all. “We’ll have one with cream cheese and one with raspberry jam.”

It was only after Cloud had ordered at the window that the silver haired General removed his helmet shakily, his cheeks and sharp nose a prominent red. The flush almost made him look cheery and jovial, or he would have looked that way if he hadn’t been glaring. 

“Cloud, did you ever take those defensive driving courses I recommended to you?” Sephiroth asked, once the blonde had returned with the kolaches. He had tactfully tucked the two dozen back into Fenrir’s storage compartment to make sure neither he nor Sephiroth got the urge to finish those too. 

Cloud passed him one of the pastries thoughtfully, a bite of the sweet, yeasty dough already in his own mouth. There was just something so magical about the way the tart, sugared cheese tasted, the warmth just bleeding into his stiff fingers. It felt like a tradition by now, eating warm pastries in the cold- only this time, Sephiroth was with him. 

“Well, did you ever pay for those coffees I delivered?” Cloud asked, finishing his own kolache in two more satisfying bites. He watched carefully as Sephiroth nibbled at the edges, his eyebrows flitting upwards as enjoyment flickered onto his handsome face. The tiniest, most negligible part of Cloud’s heart wanted to smile seeing that. 

“I supposed saving your life, on multiple occasions, might outweigh the price of a few coffees.” Sephiroth said, tilting his head and shaking some of the snow that had collected there back to the ground. Silhouetted by the white, Sephiroth's hair almost seemed to be a part of the snowstorm, wild as it was whipping about.

Cloud finished cleaning off his fingers before reaching back into his jacket to grab ahold of his gloves. He didn’t get far with putting them on when he turned to Sephiroth somewhat dramatically, something clicking together in his mind.

“Wait, did my driving scare you?”

As if he hadn’t been waiting around with his kolache long enough, Sephiorth finally took a full bite of the pastry, chewing thoughtfully.

“This is delicious-”

“You not gonna answer my question?” Cloud asked despite himself. Both he and Sephiroth had been through a lot together- between monsters, Turks, and scientists they had pretty much dealt with the worst of the worst. Sephiroth had faced those guys without so much as blinking twice, and yet here he was clearly affected… To imagine it was because of something as mundane as a drive was insane. 

“I have no intention to answer your question.” Sephiroth replied, his eyes creasing as his signature smirk made its way onto his lips. He took another bite of his kolache, his tongue just darting out to collect a bit of wayward jelly. Cloud stared for a second before turning away from the taller man and leaning against the metal fence that separated the stall from the road, feeling slightly warmer than he had seconds before. “However, seeing as you're so persistent, I will admit that your driving habits require a much higher ticket than I originally assigned to you.”

“Hey, I get where I need to be, when I need to be there-” Cloud began before a wet, slush of a snowball collided into his back with a thump. He whipped around, his blonde spikes nearly flinging snow with the movement. “You-!”

Cloud started out serious, his fingers just dipping into the freezing slush of snow to ready his own projectile. That was the last time he would deal with Sephiroth’s smug, attractive face silently. It was time for retribution. 

“I didn’t-”

Before even a single flake of snow could fall, Cloud moved to throw the poorly-packed snowball into Sephiroth’s face, only to slip on the frozen ground instead, and skid forward like an uncontrolled vehicle. Sephiroth, who had just finished his kolache, saw him surging forward and reflexively reached out to stop his inevitable fall. Cloud slipped into his arms almost gracefully, but he was a solid, grown-ass man, and Sephiroth, no matter how skilled or strong, was trying to stabilize himself on the same frozen ground that had sent Cloud sprawling forward. In the matter of a few, painful seconds both had collided into the snow, Sephiroth taking the brunt of the fall, and Cloud pressed against him painfully.

“I didn’t expect for things to escalate so quickly,” Sephiroth commented, his voice a deep, pleasing sound. The look he gave Cloud was a dirty one, with half-lidded eyes and those clearly taunting lips. As soon as he decided to open his big mouth, Cloud remembered his previous mission. Without responding, he pushed off of Sephiroth’s chest to grab a handful of snow which he kindly pressed into the man’s reddened face, unable to stop his voice from rising. 

“You and- and your big mouth! This is payback for all those times you used your stupidly enhanced face to just spew shit! Constantly!” Cloud barely got through half of his first sentence before laughter came to accompany all of his grievances. As annoying as Sephiroth could be, more often than not Cloud would think back on the situations they had shared together and found some things to be more silly than he had taken them for in the moment.

That unfortunately left him with far too many fond memories of the man to be properly mad at him.

The power ride didn’t last long as Sephiroth grabbed at his stinging, red fingers and pulled them away, looking more disgruntled than he realised. Clumps of white snow clung to his eyelashes and hair, slicking his bangs back to fully expose his gaze. Cloud swallowed suddenly. Sephiroth’s green eyes were gleaming an ominous silver, frostier than the ice they were both trembling in.

“And what of the compensation I deserve?” When Cloud blinked at him with the same feigned ignorance he had been presented with before, Sephiroth leaned toward him, his words barely a whisper over the surrounding slurry. In Cloud’s millisecond of hesitation, Sephiroth flipped them, pressing his back into the snow. “Would you like to be iced? Or would you prefer something more gratifying?”

“Hm,” Cloud hummed aloud, pretending to think about the options thoroughly. He twisted his fingers through the dripping strands of Sephiroth’s hair before pulling his face down even lower, mocking the over-the-top attitude the General usually took on. It was impossible to miss the way the taller man’s eyes widened, his slit pupil dilating significantly. When Sephiroth’s lips were just barely a touch away from his own, Cloud spoke, his words deliberate. “Neither.”

Without waiting for the man’s response, he pulled his arms back to himself and shoved him hard into the snow before getting up and making a mad dash back toward Fenrir. Truthfully, he wasn’t sure where exactly the bike was, or why he had decided to do something like that. He didn’t like taunting people. He didn’t want to lead Sephiroth on either, he didn’t like him. But in that second, things just seemed-

They had felt different.

“You’ve chosen your fate then, Cloud,” Sephiroth said forebodingly, dashing behind him with none of his previous trouble. This time when the blonde blinked at him owlishly, it was completely genuine. Cloud had always thought the Nibel wolf was faster than whatever alien cells were pulsing through his blood stream, but Sephiroth hadn’t even missed a beat in his recovery. When Cloud was tackled back into the snow, he realised how wrong he had been. This time when Sephiroth leaned over him, he gripped Cloud's wrists tightly, his self-satisfied smirk undermined by the playfulness in his eyes. “I believe I witnessed a certain trait of yours back at the hot springs… What was it again?”

Cloud went completely still after that before his struggling escalated tenfold. Sephiroth may have been straddling him, but the blonde didn’t care how many times he brushed against his thighs so long as he managed to get free. 

He was actually, physically going to end Zack’s life after this.

“Listen, I- I’m a big proponent of peacefully solving disagreements,” Cloud started as he began rapidly trying to think of a way to de-escalate the situation. Had anything he said worked before? He couldn't let himself be attacked again, not after he had just barely survived the previous attempt. “I uh, I think I’d prefer the ice option, actually. I deserve to be iced-”

“I believe Zack mentioned you were ticklish ?” 

“I’m not, Seph- Sephiroth, don’t you dare! I swear I’ll-” Cloud barely got through half of his sentence when a pair of lithe fingers danced across his waist, teasing and light. Cloud felt himself shiver before the edges of his lips quirked upwards. “I don’t- I’m not actually-”

And then his chance for any verbal or physical defence was gone. Sephiroth’s fingers were on his waist and Cloud could do anything but squirm with laughter, his breath short even as he tried to kick the taller man away. 

“You’re-” Cloud felt tears prick his eyes as Sephiroth nicked a particularly sensitive spot near his side, laughter forcing him to arch his back as he gasped for air. “So dead!”

“Quite alive, and feeling very victorious, actually.” Sephiroth laughed, the deep rumble making Cloud’s heart flutter oddly. Then his heated touch was gone, and after a few, dying laughs, the blonde could breathe again. He was soaked in ice and cold, but he could breathe. “I do believe we’re even now. Between the tickets and coffee, among other things.”

Cloud sincerely wondered why part of him wished Sephiroth’s hands were still on him. Not tickling, but just present and warm- enlivening in a way he wasn’t familiar with. After letting out a shuddering puff of frosted air, he turned to glare towards the General. His mind was probably addled by all the cold. That was probably what was wrong with him.

“I fucking hate you.” Cloud murmured breathily, still waiting for his lungs to stop having to work overtime. Gods, he hadn’t even considered how much his heart had suffered because of this man. 

Sephiroth gave him a sweet, charming smile- something similar to the one Cloud had viewed on the television, but much more sincere- and moved off of him to collapse beside the blonde, his hair spilling around him.

“I’d rather be hated than ignored.”

Yuffie, who had thrown the initial snowball towards Cloud’s back in the first place, choked hard after hearing Sephiroth’s words. She grabbed Cait Sith’s tiny body and shook him angrily. 

“Attacking Cloud with snow was supposed to make him mad! It wasn’t supposed to make them start- start-” She paused, the tightness in her chest rendering her speechless. Her small hands fell off of Cait’s shoulders, her heart suddenly empty. “Do you think Cloud actually…?”

“I told you my plan has a high success rate!” The animatronic chirped happily. “Leave them alone for an evening-”

“My plan was to stop your plan!” Yuffie cried, falling back into the snow, frustrated.

Chapter Text

It was maddening. Maddening, seeing the General of Shinra shopping for a measly collection of groceries, going through the car line to pick up rat children-  fucking wasting his every, precious moment doing mundane things. Back in Shinra, those sort of things had been taken care of by secretaries and infantry-men. 

Clearly that had changed for both Sephiroth and Genesis. 

When Genesis had deserted Shinra, he hadn’t realised what exactly he had signed away. He’d lost Angeal, his salary, his apartment. Hell, he’d even lost his medical insurance; Hojo had practically been sending him to an early death in exchange for all those frivolous things. But , and there always was a ‘but’ because while Genesis was highly self-motivated and downright selfish at times, he never considered himself to be ‘cruel’. At least not the way Cloud had described him. 

That was right, up until Cloud Strife had decided to tear Genesis and Sephiroth’s relationship to shreds, Genesis had thought himself to be quite noble- heroic even. But of course, the matter at hand: in all honesty, Genesis did like Sephiroth. He was jealous of him to a negligible degree, - which man wasn’t?- but the problems between them weren’t because of the social hierarchy Shinra had imposed on them. The problem between them was Sephiroth’s refusal to acknowledge who Genesis truly was: a hero, shadowed by a fallen angel. And those tiny issues happened to be furthered by Genesis’s relationship with Hollander since apparently Cloud Strife hated the man and that meant Sephiroth did too.

And now… Now Genesis was watching Sephiroth load poorly-tied groceries into the ugliest vehicle known to Midgar: a sad, rusted teal truck that looked barely capable of holding its own weight. That wasn't even mentioning what Sephiroth was wearing. Genesis was currently homeless and still dressing better than Sephiroth’s plain turtleneck and shredded jeans. They had to be borrowed. Had to be. 

Genesis would have been content to continue watching from where he was, perched behind a vehicle, but the bastard who owned said hiding place had started pulling out of his parking spot and nearly ran over his foot. Cursing and jumping about like a fool, the red-head barely got away before his other foot was smashed. 

“Genesis?” It was Sephiroth’s voice, as deep and monotone as it had always been, clearly unchanged despite the many things that had changed between them. Genesis would be lying if it didn’t comfort him a little to hear him.  

“So you’ve been reduced to a servant then?” He quipped before the man could say anything further. Not that he really expected Sephiroth to mouth off to him. Generally speaking, Genesis would have the last word. That was assuming they weren’t waving their swords in each other’s faces. “Honestly, they completely missed the opportunity to have you in a maid’s dress-”

“Are you here on behalf of Shinra as well?” 

“Have they already gotten to you?” Genesis asked, suddenly recoiling from the sun’s rays like he was afraid they might make him more visible to Shinra security cameras. Sephiroth gave him a very dry look in response before returning to his task, seemingly unbothered. The action was more irritating than the red-head would ever care to admit. “I came to warn you, but-”

“You came to warn me ?” Sephiroth reiterated foolishly, like even his hearing had deteriorated in the few months he had left Shinra. Genesis wasn't actually surprised about this particular factor; Cloud and his friends were an extremely noisy lot. “Knowing you, that cannot be the only reason you've been trailing after me for the past week.”

Genesis pursed his lips, his arms falling limply at his sides. The last time they had seen each other, he had been at the end of Sephiroth’s blade, bloodied and beaten. 

It still made him angry, thinking back on it. Both Sephiroth and Cloud had thought Genesis had taken this depraved path for the sake of his envy. The truth of the matter was that he didn't care about being the General of Shinra, he had only cared about getting Cloud back to Hollander so he could continue his research. All he really wanted was to live on.

Was that really such an evil thing?

All of it was behind him now of course. He realised that Hollander didn't have a solution to his decay, nor did Rufus or anyone really. He only wondered when the same symptoms were to plague Cloud and his company. They were going to happen, it was only a matter of time.

“Scarlet and the Professor are working on something together- a monstrosity meant to be capable of taking even you down.” Genesis worried his bottom lip, a sliver of regret tightening around his shrivelled, selfish heart. “They won't rest until they have you under their thumb again, Sephiroth. Or until you’re out of the picture. You must leave Midgar.”

Sephiroth blinked upwards at that, as if he couldn't believe the words coming from his mouth. Genesis would have revelled in his disconcerted expression, but he no longer had the will.

“What changed?” Sephiroth asked after a painful second. He was really staring down hard at Genesis then, as if through sight alone he could glean some hidden truth or mystery. Unfortunately, the red head was all out of those. “When I left Shinra, the last thing I expected was that you would do the same.”

“My soul, corrupted by vengeance, hath endured torment, to find the end of the journey… In my own salvation.” Genesis felt his lip quirk upward when he noticed Sephiroth's annoyance. No one hated his recitations of Loveless more than the silver haired General. 

“Speak plainly.” He ordered, shifting his weight to jutt a very attitude driven hip forward. That made Genesis smile entirely too pleased. Sephiroth had learned that mannerism from him. 

“I've nothing left to gain from Shinra's employ, that's all. They've promised me life and given only death in return.” Genesis turned his head away then, far too bitter to fully admit his shortcomings to perfect, untouchable Sephiroth. “I've grown sick of playing lap dog.”

“And Angeal?”

“That man,” Genesis paused, unable to stop the surge of emotion that nearly claimed him just thinking of the SOLDIER. Angeal was the true dawn, not in Shinra but in the midst of all of mankind. He was truly heroic in both deeds, and character. And Genesis had dampened his light for far too long. “He deserves better. Tell that to the puppy, make sure he treasures him like I never could.”

Sephiroth's eyes flashed at that, but Genesis didn't want to speak any further. He spread his sickly, fraying wings and took to the skies, his pride lost.

Tifa bit her lip as she sprayed another ribbon of whipped cream atop a latte, her hands completing the monotonous work even though her head was as far away from cafe duties as it could be. 

Seventh Heaven was open and operating again. They had an updated menu, a new kitchen- Barret and Vincent had even been working on a marketing strategy in Kalm to try and bring in new customers… Things couldn’t have been going better. Shinra even seemed to be miraculously minding their own business. It had been months since the last time she, Cloud, or anyone had even been threatened with evil monsters or crazy scientists. Despite welcoming the newfound peace, Tifa couldn’t help the sliver of worry that had wormed its way into her heart. 

Everything was finally back to normal so why did she still feel like she was living on borrowed time?

“Order for Marle!” Tifa called out, her eyes unconsciously flitting over to where Cloud stood, wiping a table off. When the blonde caught her eye, he offered a small smile before abandoning his task and coming towards the bar. Tifa swallowed despite herself, suddenly full of unsure thoughts even as she handed over the coffee. 

“What's up, Tifa? Got something for me to do?” Cloud asked, tilting his head in that adorable manner of his. He hadn’t used to do that, at least not as prominently, but his injection had altered both his personality and him . Something told her it wasn’t just the injection that had changed her childhood friend so profoundly though.

“Cloud,” Tifa began, releasing a breath she hadn’t realised she was holding. Back in Nibelheim, Cloud had been skittish and reserved; his time in Midgar had transformed him into a quiet, yet skillful young man. Working alongside Reeve had turned him into a hero, something Tifa was beyond proud of, but she always had been. His newfound heroism just put all of those shiny, golden qualities of his on display for all of Midgar to see. For Sephiroth to see. “How’ve you been? No more quarreling with Sephiroth, right?”

She wanted to ask him about his relationship with Shinra’s ex-General. After gossiping with everyone for the past few weeks, Tifa saw almost every single one of Cloud and Sephiroth’s interactions as romantic. Aerith just said she was jealous. 

Despite wanting to ask the blonde outright, she couldn’t find the words nor the confidence to ask what was plaguing her mind. Cloud could still be very avoidant if he didn’t want to have a particular conversation. 

“With Sephiroth?” Cloud looked up for half a second, his golden eyelashes catching the morning light. He looked soft haloed by gold, like the light smoothed out the worried lines that had carved their way onto his face. He almost looked like the boy from Nibelheim from all those years ago. “Things are fine-or they’re good. Things are good .”

The statement was simple, it was direct like most things Cloud said. If the blonde chose to speak, it was going to be both of those things or else he wouldn’t speak at all. And yet his choice of words were what threw Tifa for a loop: good? Things weren’t fine, they were good ? What exactly was Cloud’s definition of good? Did that mean Nanaki and Yuffie had been right? Was he describing the ‘good’ life with Sephiroth because they were in a relationship, or were they simply on speaking terms?

“Cloud, are you in love with him?” Tifa asked, both hands planted firmly on the bar to stablilise herself as she gazed deeply into the blonde’s widened eyes. It was out. She had felt like she had swallowed acid when Aerith had first brought the idea to her mind, and now she had finally spit it out, her worries damned.  Cloud’s mouth took a moment but eventually dropped open like he had no idea how to respond to her question.

And then, like a slap to the face, he lowered his dewy eyes, finding solace in the veins of gold in their new, marble counters. 

He was in love with Sephiroth, wasn’t he?

Before Cloud could respond, their back door swung open and the General himself walked through, a plethora of white bags on his annoyingly muscled arms. Tifa wasn’t foolish enough to think she could win against him in an arm-wrestle, but she could outcook him any day. And she had all of Cloud’s favourites memorised. 

“If you two aren’t busy you could help gather the groceries.” Sephiroth said in that way of his that sounded more like an order than it did a friendly question for help. Tifa could beat him there too. No one was better at socialising than she was. 

Cloud didn’t even acknowledge the statement. It was as if he had been locked into a trance, his eyes glued to the counter and his posture immovably stiff. Tifa thought about saying something- anything to either of them, but her curiosity sealed her lips. If she spoke, there was the chance she might miss Cloud’s answer if he ever decided to give it. 

After a moment of awkward silence passed where neither recognized Sephiroth’s presence, the silver-haired demon let out a low whistle, as if he was summoning an animal rather than a person. Unfortunately, that did end up catching Cloud’s attention; the blonde looked up like a soldier called to ready position, his eyes alert and seeking. He was far from the only one however; and Tifa wasn’t sure what shocked her more. Nanaki stretched out his paws and pattered over, barely able to stifle the yawn left from his interrupted nap. Vincent fluttered down from whatever alcove he had been hiding in and perched sleeplily on Tifa’s new banister, his feathers ruffling as he settled. 

Lastly, Zack came tripping down the stairs at a record speed before sliding across their tiled floors in his bright red fuzzy socks and catching himself on Cloud’s shoulder. She wasn’t even sure why the SOLDIER was still in the cafe when it was clearly a work day, muchless why he of all people responded to the whistle. 

“You did not just whistle to get my attention.” Cloud grumbled, his brow lowered in what was clearly offence. 

“It was an oddly compelling sound.” Nanaki admitted, taking a seat. He didn’t seem the least bit concerned with helping with the groceries or anything, but he was apparently going to hear this conversation out.

Sephiroth seemed to be barely suppressing his amusement with how things had turned out, his lips curving upwards in that way Tifa absolutely hated. Smiles were meant to be kind and reassuring. The fact Sephiroth made them look sultry and evil completely destroyed the point of them. 

“It seems to have worked, at least.” Sephiroth answered amiably. He paused for a second, his alien eyes flickering over to Zack before he cleared his throat. Almost like he noticed how ill-mannered he had been acting and was going to- from then on, at least- be on his best behaviour. 

Was Zack acting as Sephiroth’s wingman? Was that how Sephiroth had been able to get on Cloud’s good side? Because of Zack?

“Don’t whistle at me. I’m not a dog.” Cloud said, his attention waning as Denzel began ascending the stairs, his arms full of miscellaneous toys. While they were still operating the cafe, the moving process was a long one, and quite a few of their belongings and possessions were still mixed between Reeve’s safe-house and Seventh Heaven’s new building. As if on time with the blonde’s words, a shiny round ball dropped from the boy’s hands, landing on only a single step before it was reclaimed. 

Cloud had leapt over the bar, scaled the banister, and caught the object mid-motion. His pupils looked nearly blown wide, his tail surely wagging though it had yet to appear. 

“We can go again if you want.” Cloud said so quickly, it nearly sounded like a murmur. Denzel dropped a second toy, his jaw falling with it. Cloud caught that one too, his head dropping in clear embarrassment. Zack didn’t even try to hide his laughter, slapping the counter as he wiped at his watering eyes.

“You were saying?” Sephiroth asked, his arms crossed across his chest to accompany his devious smirk. All Tifa really wanted was for him to wear a looser shirt. That was it. 

“Asshole.” Cloud muttered, his cheeks still clearly red as he helped Denzel up the stairs.

“Wow, really hate to ruin this touchin’ moment-” Reno of all people spoke suddenly, appearing  before them like an apparition. One thing Tifa had made sure of in their new building was that they had a security system installed. Every entrance and window was wired, and Cait Sith was monitoring constantly. It should have been impossible for the Turk to enter. 

Before Reno could take a step further, Sephiroth had his sword drawn and pressed against the red-head’s neck. That reminded Tifa of why they had let the silver-haired General into their group in the first place. Above all of his annoying traits and personality quirks, he was undeniably a strong ally to have on their side. 

“No need to get so up close and personal, General.” Reno slurred, taking a dangerous step forward. For a second, his image blurred around the sword and then recovered, looking clearer than ever. “Even if I wanted to give it a go with ya, we couldn’t. Boss’s rules, not mine.”

Vincent glared, his golden eyes sharp and displeased underneath his dark bangs. 

“And what exactly did your boss send you to say?” 

Sephiroth sheathed his sword, flicking a strand of silver hair over his shoulder before matching the projection with the same grimace Vincent had. Tifa almost thought they looked similar for a moment. 

“Well, uh just,” Reno blew on his nails like he had all the time in the world before leaning casually on the bar. Tifa wasn’t exactly sure how that worked considering he wasn’t actually, physically within Seventh Heaven. “The Professor’s callin’ you home, General. Two ways this goes: our way, or uh, our way. Only choice is whether you bring these cats down with you too.”

Cloud pushed Denzel defensively behind him at Reno’s words, his light eyes flickering over to Sephiroth. Annoyingly enough, the General caught his gaze and held it, a silent exchange clearly passing between the two. 

“We already know your plan and it's not going to work. Sephiroth isn’t weak to magic and none of us are either.” Tifa looked down at her own clenched fist before meeting Reno’s annoyingly bright eyes head on. She didn’t like Sephiroth. But she hated Shinra leagues more and she wouldn’t by any means let them have their way. “We have a scientist on our side too.”

Nanaki got to his feet at that, sniffing the air curiously before raising his haunches. Zack put a hand on the cat’s head in a somewhat placating manner despite his own defensive posture. He looked ready to draw his sword at any moment. 

“Who- are you guys talking about Director Tuesti? Pffft-”  Reno laughed dramatically, throwing his head back and holding his stomach like he couldn’t have heard a funnier joke. It made Tifa’s jaw ache with how hard she was clenching her teeth. There was no way he was supposed to know that information. When the red-head recovered, he stared straight towards Denzel, his startling eyes boring deeply into the boy’s unnerved gaze. “Well, if hes the only one you guys’ve got, you're fucked after all.”

“What’d you do to Reeve?” Cloud asked, his fingers still clasped around Denzel’s shoulder. He was afraid. Cloud had never been overly expressive with any of his emotions; Tifa had learned that early on with him. But when the emotion was strong enough, he would desperately hang on to what he did have, as if to ground himself. 

“Haven’t done past the basic shit… Not yet.” Reno was forced to break eye contact with Denzel as Cloud properly moved in front of the boy, and glared at the red-head’s lopsided smirk. “We’re totally up for a trade though: You give us the General and we’ll return the Director. We’ll give you, hmm. Let's see- a day sound good?”

“Twenty-four hours before you do what?” Nanaki asked, walking forward to stand beside Sephiroth. The General seemed to bristle slightly before allowing his long fingers to just brush the top of the cat’s head somewhat fondly. 

Despite being asked by someone else entirely, Reno didn’t break his eye contact with Cloud when he responded.

“We gas him.”

Chapter Text

“We should take the trade!” Yuffie yelled after the projection of Reno had awkwardly disappeared. She leaped over the banister to land on the bar in festive socks, her hands planted firmly on her hips. Tifa gave her an admonishing look, but held off on reprimanding her; Cloud knew it was only because there were more pressing matters at hand. “We get rid of Sephiroth and get Reeve back! He’s the only reason we’re a group, anyway!”

“Knowing Shinra, it won’t be a clean trade.” Vincent whispered, like he was afraid someone might be listening into their conversation. Now that Reeve was gone, that meant Cait sith couldn’t protect them digitally anymore. That was probably the only reason the Turks had been able to send a projection straight to their main headquarters. “If we bring in Sephiroth, they’ll probably just keep him and the Director.”

“But with Seph on our side, won’t it just be in and out for us?” Zack reasoned, glancing between Vincent and Sephiroth. “Like, nothing Shinra makes is even remotely strong enough to take him down.”

“I was made aware that Shinra has something specific in store for me- a counter measure of sorts.” Sephiroth said, looking down. His last injections from Hojo had made him susceptible to magic attacks, which meant he was no longer the same, invincible paragon of strength all of Midgar thought him to be. He was still strong no doubt, but he was vulnerable now; nothing Reeve had tried before had been able to mitigate that weakness. “Genesis, in a very disgruntled state, told me of some top secret project that was being worked on by both the Science and Weaponry divisions. I don’t think it's something we can overlook.”

“Genesis reached out to you?” Zack repeated, his bright eyes dimming for a second. Cloud felt glad Sephiorth had kept his eyes trained on Zack and missed the way his own expression changed. Cloud didn’t have a lot of sympathy to give the red-head. When Sephiroth silently prompted Zack with a raised brow, the Second Class folded his arms over his chest and plopped down on a bar stool reluctantly. “Did Gen tell you he deserted? Angeal told me he just woke up one night and there was no one there. He didn’t take anything, didn’t leave any notes- didn’t say goodbye . He just upped and disappeared.”

“Well, his numerous character flaws aside, I realised there's something physically wrong with Genesis as well. I noticed it initially when Cloud fought with him, but when he visited me today, there were feathers growing into his hair-” Sephiroth bit off his statement as Cloud returned to the bottom of the stairs, his brows furrowed. 

Cloud was glad Sephiroth had friends and relationships outside of his batshit, scientist father. Unfortunately, at this time they didn’t exactly have the leisure to be seeking out runaway SOLDIERs; there was already less than twenty-four hours in place to save Reeve.

“I’m sure we have no problem helping the other first class, but Genesis hasn’t exactly been an ally to us. How do we know we can trust his information?” Nanaki asked, practically voicing Cloud’s thoughts aloud. He had been messing with his ears and then paws which led the blonde to believe he was poorly hiding his anxiety.  Despite both of their reserved natures, Cloud found himself and Nanaki to be more similar than he had thought; neither would ever admit it, but Reeve’s abduction was frightening. 

After such a long period of peace, Cloud had found himself hoping Shinra would just disappear into the background, like a bad memory or nightmare. Sure they all were carrying the burden of truth, the fact that mind control was something actively being worked on, but it was so much easier being a civilian instead of a hero. 

Part of Cloud had hoped that stalemate would have just lasted forever.  

“We don’t trust Genesis. After what he did, probably never will.” Cloud stated dryly, his eyes shifting over to Yuffie. He wasn’t one to hold grudges usually, but Genesis had picked one too many fights with them to go unexcused. “But I do trust Sephiroth. Whatever you decide, I’ll follow your lead.”

For a moment the room was caught in the hush of silence, like Cloud’s words had been awe-inspiring enough to usher it in. Sephiroth himself seemed to linger in it, his emerald eyes slightly wide as he gazed toward the blonde with sudden intensity. Cloud would be lying if he didn’t immediately feel like lowering his head and looking away. 

He had to be confident though, he had to be a hero even if he didn’t want to be. So he held Sephiroth’s gaze, hoping he could be strong where the other man wasn’t. 

“I- I believe his information is reliable.” Sephiroth murmured, his eyes never leaving Cloud’s as he stumbled through his sentence. It couldn't have been more different from Reno’s sly, unnerving look; Sephiroth’s gaze seemed to overflow with devotion- something Cloud hadn’t inspired from anyone, not knowingly of course. “We should prepare accordingly.”

The plan was simple. Cloud, Sephiroth, and Tifa would enter through the front under the guise that they would go through with Shinra’s deal. This obviously put the three of them at high risk, but the only way to lower Rufus’s guard would be to trick him into thinking things were going as he had planned. Sephiroth knew how the old president worked and he knew his son would be no different. 

Next, Yuffie, Vincent, and Nanaki would transport into the vents and secure Reeve’s location. Since they were practically running around Shinra’s massive building blind, Cloud had directed them towards Reeve’s office. The Turks likely had someone stationed there expecting visitors. After ascertaining his location, they would extract and return the director to safety. 

Because they were considering Genesis’s information as valid, there was a high chance a very dangerous battle would ensue wherever Sephiroth himself was being handled. While this was a good thing combatively- Sephiroth was an exceptional SOLDIER and had yet to meet his match- it didn't bode well all other things considered.

Due to the threat level, it was imperative that after Reeve was safe, Nanaki and Yuffie would return to provide support as would the extraction group which would consist of Vincent and Cid. Vincent would immediately remove Sephiroth, a motion Cloud insisted on despite Sephiroth's own, personal disapproval and the remaining members of their party would leave on Cid’s plane. 

Aerith, Barret, and the children were to remain in Seventh Heaven, awaiting them.

The plan, while seemingly convoluted, was in fact, simple: trigger the trap and deal with it long enough to secure Cloud and his friends’ safety. 

Sephiroth had long been dealing with Shinra's whims and conceited urges. In the case Reeve was rescued, nothing would change; Shinra was sure to continue after them relentlessly. The only way to truly be free would be to take Genesis's advice and leave Midgar behind. Seventh Heaven, their homes and schools- everything Cloud had worked so hard to rebuild and protect would have to be left behind too. 

Sephiroth himself had already left behind multiple properties as well as half of his fortune that still remained in his old, frozen Shinra bank account. None of the things he had lost had any sentimental value to him. Nothing except losing Genesis and Angeal.

Sephiroth knew Seventh Heaven was different for Cloud. But that was the cost of allying with someone like himself and Reeve- a cost Cloud was apparently ready to make.

“Cloud, we’re here. You may release me now.” Sephiroth said, gently pulling Cloud's smaller hands from his waist. The blonde blinked himself out of his daze and glared up at Shinra Headquarters, at the massive, metal building that consumed half of the sky. Shinra Corporation had never looked so large. Tonight, it seemed to tower over them, blocking out any of the celestial light that dared to peek through the plumes of smog. The scene couldn't have  illustrated Shinra's ideals any better: They would snuff out any light they could. They had and always would. 

Cloud was distracted, Sephiroth could tell. The blonde was someone who lived in every persisting moment no matter how painful, Sephiroth had seen him cling to consciousness even while bearing grievous injuries. Seeing him now, seated on Fenrir, he couldn't have looked more distant.

After a moment, Cloud got off of his beloved motorcycle and helped Tifa out of the attached sidecar. Sephiroth moved himself, his actions hesitant and slow.

“When we go in there,” Cloud started, wringing his hands around his wrists. “We focus on prolonging the discussion. Don’t provoke anybody. We’re here for Reeve, that's it.”

“We understand.” Tifa assured him, placing a warm hand on his shoulder. 

The blonde looked to him then, like he was expecting Sephiroth to speak or place his own hand on his shoulder- to comfort him in some way, but the gaze was gone almost as soon as it came. Sephiroth was left only to dip his chin, a silent nod showing his affirmation. 

He had never been comforted himself, how could he dare to try and comfort Cloud?

As they approached the building, Reno and Rude could be seen lingering at the front entrance, weapons clearly unsheathed and at the ready. It was nearing midnight, which meant the building was closed; it only made sense the President had left Turks to come fetch them. Cloud stepped in front of Sephiroth as they approached, acting as protective as his small stature allowed. The action almost made the ex-General of Shinra smile outright. 

“Hey, Rude! Look what the wolf dragged in! We were makin’ bets whether you and the General were gonna show!” Reno grinned wickedly, making a grabbing motion toward Rude. The other Turk placed a wad of gil in his hand reluctantly. “I asked the director if he wanted to join in, but he didn’t have much more to lose.”

“Take us to Reeve. We accept the exchange.” Cloud said, his voice cold and clipped, like he was suppressing emotion. If Sephiroth hadn't been living with him the past months, he might not have noticed how thickly his words were laced with anxiety. 

“You'll relinquish Masamune before entering.” Rude said, his voice devoid of feeling. It was completely apathetic, just as the Turks were supposed to be.

Sephiroth summoned his silver-white blade, made brief eye contact with Tifa, and handed the hilt to the Turk. He didn’t need a blade to take down enhanced SOLDIERs nor did he need a weapon to take down Turks. His enhanced strength was something Hojo could never take away from him, no matter how many injections he made him suffer with. 

“The boss’s waitin’ for you in the elevator.” Reno informed them helpfully, though his narrowed eyes told of a completely different intention. Sephiroth had never liked the Turks. While efficient, they’re loyalties and ethics always seemed too questionable for use.

“On behalf of Shinra, I’m glad you all could see reason.” Tseng greeted, holding his arm in front of the glass elevator door in what Sephiroth could only assume was an attempt at politeness. As soon as they were all within the confines of the lift, Tseng pressed a number none too discreetly. They were heading to the 68th floor- to the science department. 

When Sephiroth returned his gaze to Cloud, he seemed completely changed. In the seconds it had taken to walk into the elevator, Cloud’s composition seemed to have deserted him, leaving him with fidgeting fingers. Even his expression seemed to twitch with every passing second, his tongue constantly darting out to wet his lips. 

If Sephiroth had seen the blonde’s nervousness, there was no doubt Tseng had as well, but the Turk luckily didn’t have the chance to discuss. As soon as the elevator opened, Cloud was the first one out, his breath laboured like he had been suffocating within the confines of the glass elevator. It wasn’t a good sign, but Sephiroth didn’t know how to calm him. 

He had to try.

With sudden impulsivity, Sephiroth grabbed ahold of the blonde’s arm and pulled him back, allowing Tseng to make some distance down the main entryway. Tifa continued for a moment herself before drawing back towards them, but the General didn’t concern himself with her. 

“Cloud, you seem uneasy.” Sephiroth released his arm when Cloud stopped pulling away from his touch, his green eyes flickering down to see how close their fingers were. When he looked back towards his face, Cloud was staring toward him, his brow creased as if he was seeking something from Sephiroth’s expression.

The General wasn’t sure what he sought after, but he would do his best to find it.

“Let's just get this over with.” The blonde said, looking away. He walked forward a bit to stand beside Tifa once again before looking over his shoulder. This time when he spoke he didn’t move to face him, but warmth bled through his words despite the cold treatment. “And stay behind me. It’ll be easier to protect you that way.”

“Finished? The President is waiting ahead.” Tseng informed them, his dark eyes curiously amused. He had seen their exchange, but Sephiroth found that fact didn’t bother him in the least. Nothing within Shinra’s capabilities could startle him. 

“And Reeve?”

“Once the details of our… arrangement are finalised, I’ll be more than happy to return the director.”

The door that Tseng pushed open for them had originally led to one of Sephiroth’s early training rooms. A room made completely of steel- aside from the looking glass which glittered high above them. Messy sword slashes still dented the walls if one looked close enough, the looking glass only spared due to Hojo’s specific fortifications. 

The room hadn’t changed a nauseating bit. Even standing four or five feet taller, twenty years later, he still felt like the same clueless, terrified boy. The only difference were two custom sweepers stationed on both sides of the room. Usually weaponry was a rare sight in Shinra’s science department. Hojo had probably chosen this room on purpose. 

Sephiroth glanced left and right, attempting to analyse the room, to recall its make, its weaknesses, its purpose. Sephiroth had trained in many rooms like this. Hojo had made ‘special’ challenges for him to undergo and survive, all with different conditions and tests. Sephiroth remembered how many times he had sworn his life away only to wake up moments later, still alive. Still suffering. 

Sephiroth swallowed hard when he realised Cloud had already begun negotiations, his voice just barely registering. If Hojo had meant for such a psychological effect on Sephiroth, he had unfortunately succeeded. 

“...so you didn’t bring your feathered friend? What a pity!” Hojo squawked, still safely protected behind the fortified glass, just like he always had been in Sephiroth’s memories. This time, he wasn’t the only person seated behind the glass; glancing up into the fluorescent lights, Sephiroth could make out Rufus as well. “I wanted to see Vincent again. We’re good friends, you know.”

“Like you were friends with the old President?” Cloud asked wryly, looking vaguely annoyed. Despite having instructed him and Tifa to watch their words, Sephiroth should have checked with the blonde instead.

Hojo didn’t get a chance to answer him. Rufus stood and walked toward the glass, his hand pocketed. Unlike his father, Rufus didn’t care for pretenses or pleasantries. He bled gil and breathed lies- the perfect corporate entity.

“Well General? You really have no comment on being traded like a commodity?” Rufus smirked then, his blue eyes flashing, haughty and proud in a way he could only maintain behind the fortified glass. “Seeing how calm you are can only make me assume-”

Rufus paused, taking a few steps back to raise his eyebrows at something before chuckling.

“Vincent was here!” Hojo crooned, his laughter coarse and eerie like nails on a chalkboard. Sephiroth assumed they had a camera display they were watching simultaneously- likely of Reeve’s location.

“Well, it seems the director has been rescued.” Rufus plopped down on his chair, his chin cradled delicately by his hand. “So who’s going to rescue you?”

“We don’t need to be rescued.” Cloud answered without missing a beat. In an instant he had transformed, a large blade of ice in his hands. It didn’t take even a second for him to press its edge against Tseng’s neck. “Try anything and I won’t hesitate to kill him.”

Tifa, who had also transformed, looked a bit horrified at Cloud’s words, but made no motion to stop the blonde. Then the doors slid shut behind them, a steel bar sealing them in like birds trapped in a cage. 

What had been the challenge Sephiroth had fought against in this room?

He remembered how many times he had fought against that seal, desperate to free himself. One of the sweepers lunged toward them, its arms raised as if it was ready to attack. Tifa was faster, sliding beneath its legs to disable its movement and then towards the main body. Her punches were agile and quick, waves of water following each of her movements like she was casting a waterga alongside each of her martial attacks. When her fist connected with the arm of the sweeper, the metal crumbled like paper, a green gas seeping out like blood from a punctured artery.

That was when Sephiroth remembered what this room had been used for. 

This had been the asphyxiation room. Hojo had attempted to suffocate Sephiroth many times- gases, poisons, carbon dioxide. These had been the worst rooms because even after losing consciousness, Sephiroth would still wake up alone on the cold, steel floor. Hojo would be gone, but the gas would still be pouring in, filling his lungs, killing him, but never actually finishing the job. 

Sephiroth summoned his wing almost immediately, flapping wildly as he attempted to keep the green gas away from Cloud, Tifa, and himself. His attempts were almost futile when slots in the walls opened up to allow more gas to spill into the room, thick and foul. Those had been there when he was a child too.

“You- your man is still down here!” Tifa shouted, as if in reminder. She was striking at the air to try and disperse it, but it was beginning to cloud the air. Sephiroth himself couldn’t recognize the gas. Neither its smell, colour, nor viscosity seemed familiar to him. “He’s gonna breathe this in too!”

“Oh no worries, dear girl.” Hojo said, his voice bordering on patronising. “What I’ve created was specifically for mutated creatures like yourself and your friend there. Hollander has always been jealous of my experiments, yet his attempts have always fallen short.”

“W-what the-” Cloud barely managed through his sentence as blood spurted from his lips, tiny cracks crawling up his face and down his fingers. When Sephiroth glanced at Tifa, streaks of white had begun to climb their way down her dark hair like ribbons of frost. Bloody tears were tracing cruel lines down her frightened face.

Sephiroth was the only one who stood unaffected.

“Whether its degradation, or wild mutations, Hollander, that old coot, can’t do a damn thing correctly.” Hojo said, watching with harrowing fascination. Wild claws began to tear through Cloud’s fingers, his teeth growing sharp and jagged like an animal… No, like a Nibel wolf. “I’ve simply created this gas to expedite his short-comings. After all, none of them are special like you are, boy .”

Sephiroth was clutching Cloud’s writhing body in his arms, his eyes glued to the blonde until he had heard Hojo’s final words. A feral shout tore from Cloud’s throat- half man half animal. Sephiroth looked up, more stricken than he had ever been.

“I- I can’t move,” Tifa choked, her legs completely sealed together to create a single, massive fin. 

Sephiroth stared for a single, horrified second before swallowing. He had never wanted to return to Shinra. After being with Cloud- no after, understanding what truly living was like, who would want to?

“Enough of this. I’ll go with you. Empty this room immediately. R-revert them-”

“No!” Cloud gasped, clawing at Sephiroth’s shoulder and cutting through the fabric. The motion hurt, but not any more than his words did. He was shaking and hurting in a way Sephiroth would never understand, that he could never stop. Sephiroth pulled away from the blonde, glancing at his soft countenance, marred by decay and pain. “Sephiroth, you can’t-”

“Let them free and I swear I’ll follow your orders accordingly.”

“What promising results, Professor!” Rufus congratulated. If Sephiroth had Masamune nothing, not even the fortified glass, would have been enough to stop him from skewering the acting President of Shinra right then.  “If I had known you were so capable I would have requested your help instead of Hollander.”

“Of course, President…”

He didn’t care to listen to the remainder of their conversation. Sephiroth's eyes were glued to Cloud, who still reached out to him, his hand dripping with his own blood. His eyes cried blood, just as Tifa’s did, but the look he gave him was far worse, like a knife in Sephiroth’s chest. Like he couldn't bear to say farewell.

“Don’t leave… Please .”

Chapter Text

When Cloud opened his eyes again, Shinra’s horrors had dissolved back into the pink, familiar walls of Seventh Heaven. The warm, sugary smell of vanilla and coffee embraced him like an old friend, welcoming and calming all at the same time. He could even hear the soft chirping of a tune outside, like the little birds who had fluttered away for the winter had returned. Everything was just as it always was- it was completely normal.

But where was Sephiroth?

With a surprising amount of difficulty, Cloud forced himself up, his bones and jaw aching with the effort. When a bone-deep shiver crawled down his spine, Cloud forced himself to his feet and nearly thudded onto the floor until he felt his arm swiftly pulled upwards. He looked up, expecting to meet green eyes. Instead he met red.

“Cloud. You’ve awakened.” Vincent said, his voice softer than usual. Almost like he was afraid to be too loud and scare Cloud away. 

“Where- what happened ?” Cloud murmured, pushing off his friend to try and stand. He didn’t understand what had happened between now and then- the last thing he remembered was… Sephiroth turning and leaving. But that couldn’t have happened, there had been a plan. Vincent was supposed to help them escape.“Where’s Sephiroth? Where were you ?”

“We were only spared because of the General's sacrifice. Hojo had prepared some sort of sickly gas, we couldn't get in… ” Nanaki paused as Cloud made a few small steps forward and caught sight of his own reflection in Marlene’s princess vanity. Cloud remembered when he had first seen himself after Hollander had injected him- a little wolfish, but primarily unchanged. Now, he could barely even recognize himself. Cracks had made their way down his sickly white skin, similar streaks of white carding through his hair; even his eyes looked nearly white, an inhuman, silver tinge just visible in the sun. Fangs seemed to have torn through his gums and now hung over his brittle lips, like he was some sort of porcelain monster. “You endured through the worst of it before we were able to extract you.”

Cloud held horrifying contact with the creature in his reflection for a bit longer before tearing himself away and staggering towards the door. 

“What about Tifa? Reeve?” 

“You shouldn’t be walking around. Your current state isn’t exactly stable-” Nanaki tried, but Cloud didn’t stop, he stumbled out the door, no location or purpose in his mind. 

“Reeve has been unconscious for the past three days. Tifa is…” Cloud turned, leaning on the banister with all of his weight. It seemed like even walking took a toll on him now. Vincent looked toward his feet as if he couldn’t bear to deliver the news directly to him. “She’s in the tub.”

Cloud didn’t waste a second after that. He went straight back into Marlene’s room and into the adjoined bathroom she shared with Denzel. If he was becoming a wolf, then that meant Tifa was-

“Cloud!” Tifa exclaimed, and for a split second he felt himself consumed by a fear that glued his eyes to her’s. He didn’t want to look down and see the massive tail that swished in the tiny tub. He looked anyway, guilt pulling his gaze down like a chain. Enormous fissures crawled down her fish-like appendage and up her arms, crumbling into the water anytime her movements were too fast. Cloud didn’t want to think about how this might be her new reality, about her crushed dreams. About how she might never be able to go back . Tifa leaned over the tub, her fingers webbed like they were on the way to becoming a single, sad fin. She would never be able to cook again. “Are you okay? How are you feeling?”

And still. Even now, now that she was stuck living a life she never wanted, that she had never asked for: Tifa was still asking about him .

“I’m gonna find him. I’m gonna get Sephiroth back and I’m gonna fix this. All of this.” Cloud said, unable to keep his voice from cracking. Tifa froze for a moment, but Cloud didn’t have the heart to hear her response. Like a coward, he fled the bathroom, his fists clenched so tight he could feel his claws cutting into his palms. He didn’t stop when Nanaki called after him or when Yuffie grabbed at his shoulder. He only stopped when Vincent fluttered down in front of him, physically blocking his way.

“Cloud, you’re degrading.” When the blonde tried to push past him, Barret pulled his shoulder back, looking more hurt than Cloud had ever seen him. “We don’t know how long you and Tifa have.”

After he had spoken, Yuffie, Nanaki, and even Barret stopped their pushing and prodding and simply looked down at their feet, like they were afraid he might fall apart right there if they continued. When Cloud himself remained silent, Barret pulled him into a tight hug, his arms warm and reassuring. 

Barret never hugged Cloud. It wasn’t because it was wrong or odd, it simply wasn’t like either of them to do so. Barret was too outwardly tough and Cloud was always pretending to be the same. But by broaching the silly, made-up boundary they had created the message couldn't have been more clear. Barret was stubborn, and mulish, and downright annoying at times, but he wouldn’t let Cloud go without a hug. 

Because that was what was bound to happen. Degrading apparently meant he was actively dying .

“But we’re gonna find something! I know there's gotta be something out there!” Barret sniffled, and it took Cloud a second to realise the taller man was on the verge of tears. His voice strained like he was trying hard to keep himself sounding hopeful, like they really did have a chance. “We’ll go to the Northern Crater if we have to, but-”

“There will be no buts! There is only a single way to cure degradation, now where is Sephiroth?” Genesis asked, forcing himself through the upstairs awning window and then flitting pathetically to the floor, surrounded by a pile of his own crumbled feathers. Cloud felt a sliver of anger, but in the chorus of voices that arose he didn’t even have the chance to make it known. 

Without Reeve or Cait Sith anyone really could waltz right into Seventh Heaven.

“You ugly, mostly degraded,- sorry Cloud- hunk of bird meat!” Yuffie marched right up the stairs and grabbed ahold of the man’s shrivelled wing in a violent way that made him squawk. “How dare you show up here demanding crap!”

“She’s right. Too much has been lost.” Vincent nodded, flying to the second floor to cock his gun. He pressed it against Genesis’s temple with an apathetic sigh. “You won’t be missed.”

“Wait! Stop you idiots, stop shooting him! Did you hear what he said?! He said he knew how to cure them!” Barret shouted, releasing Cloud. As if remembering the blonde was now in a fragile state, he helped him to sit before running up the stairs with agility Cloud didn’t remember he had. “What do you know, ex-Shinra spy?”

“I was a SOLDIER, not a spy -” Genesis paused when Vincent nudged the barrel of his gun a bit closer and then breathed heavily through his nose. The ex-Turk didn’t have extra kindness or patience for anyone. “We have to consume some of Sephiroth’s DNA to cure our degradation, alright? Blood preferably. Now, where is he?”

“Shinra has him.” Nanaki said plainly, refusing to leave Cloud's side. He sat in front of him, keeping his feet warm as the blonde desperately tried to suppress his shaking. 

“You let Shinra take him?” Genesis reiterated, his pale blue eyes nearly bulging from their sockets. He even leaned forward a bit as if physical gestures might help him understand what was occurring. He only succeeded in pressing himself against Vincent's gun further. “How could you let that happen?! I warned him-”

“We failed. I failed and now Sephiroth, Tifa, and Reeve… They-” Cloud paused, his voice small despite how empty Seventh Heaven was. It should have echoed, carried on, but it remained small and broken much like he himself felt. “Shit's up to our ears so if you don't have anything else to say then get the hell out.”   

Genesis actually stayed quiet for a second, like he was just now seeing Cloud and the sorry state the blonde had gotten himself into. After a moment of continued awkward silence, he cleared his throat like that would somehow erase his past reputation as their enemy.

“Oh dear, well you're worse off than me-”

“I will shoot if you don't say something cooperative in the next ten seconds.” Vincent supplied.

“I can help you, fools! Get your brutish hands off me and I might be able to share my wisdom!” Genesis seethed, but neither Yuffie nor Vincent  moved an inch. Instead, they looked to Cloud like it was his call. The thought made the blonde bitter; it had been his call before that had gotten them here in the first place. The truth was, they really couldn't fall any further now that he and Tifa were going to die. After Genesis was unhanded, and had tactfully fixed his hair, he spoke again. “Let's begin then. Where is the puppy?”

“He's in prison.” Aerith sighed, joining the conversation reluctantly. When Cloud looked up he noticed her hair was messily loose on her shoulders, her usually bright eyes weary with exhaustion. When their eyes met, she looked away with a sigh on her lips. “He ran out of sick time and when he went back in they immediately arrested him for aiding and abetting.”

“What the hell did he think was going to happen?” Barret mumbled, gaining a snort from Yuffie. “He should have just stayed here with us.”

“No, that is quite obviously a distress signal from Zackary to us.” Genesis said, walking forward and nearly tripping down the first stair. Cloud tried not to think about how he had almost been beaten by this very idiot and rested his hand on his chin. He was trying to focus on Genesis’s words, but he couldn’t seem to get Sephiroth off of his mind. Who knew what sort of torture he was going through at that very moment while he got to sit among friends and allies. “Angeal would never let his prize pupil be arrested. Unless of course, he had already allowed himself to be imprisoned.”

“What does any of this have to do with that other, stupid first class?” Yuffie asked, propping a hand up on her hip. “Dealing with the two of you has been enough as it is!”

“If consuming Sephiroth’s blood heals degradation, does the same go for Angeal?” Vincent asked, his gun still clasped between his gloved fingers. Barret’s eyes widened at that, as if he was surprised Vincent had made such a connection.

“Smart and handsome, I will say, but you aren’t exactly correct. Unlike Sephiroth, Angeal’s blood can only temporarily eliminate the effects of degradation.” Genesis paused, regret flashing to life in his pale eyes. It was the first, real emotion Cloud had ever seen the man display. “There was a time when we were younger- back in the SOLDIER training program… Angeal had ended up getting injured and, at the time, Sephiroth had been the only one able to donate blood to him. I only realised the truth when I actively began degrading and Angeal remained in excellent form. That was when I…”

“When you started drinking his blood to stave off the effects of degradation?” Cloud murmured, looking down. He wasn’t sure if he was more horrified to hear how quickly Genesis had deteriorated mentally, or if he was horrified about what that meant about Angeal. There was no way Genesis could have taken blood discreetly. “Zack mentioned you two were in a relationship, but I didn’t realise it was like that.”

“It's like you're some sort of oversized, sicko vampire bat!” Barret exclaimed, his fists clenched tightly by his side. 

“Don’t any of you dare to judge me!” Genesis grit out, stomping down the steps. Cloud met his gaze apathetically, uncaring of the heated emotion present. “You’re just understanding what it feels like to actively die, to lose the brightness of life, to abandon love. And for what? For the machinations of some old, demented scientist who can’t even cure you?!”

Genesis paused when he reached the bottom of the stairs, his chest rising and falling with exertion his outburst had caused him. As if he remembered himself, he swallowed, the tremble of his fingers probably visible even to Yuffie who stood a whole staircase away from him. 

“I have been fighting degradation since I was in my early twenties. I don’t expect you to understand what that is like, and I don’t ask you to understand or agree with my choices. If you want a chance at saving Sephiroth then you will need Angeal’s blood. If we can pinpoint his location, one of you meddling creatures can get a few vials and return to the currently less capable members of this group.”

“Are you saying we can pinpoint his location through Zack? Does that mean he got arrested on purpose?” Aerith asked, tilting her head. Genesis narrowed his eyes at her like he had never seen her before. 

“I don’t think the puppy is quite that intelligent, but it would be a fair enough assumption that he needs saving.” Genesis plopped down then, resting on the final stair like he couldn’t bear to stand much longer. “The question only comes down to who will go fetch him?”

Genesis shuddered in the cold, damp area that was commonly known as the Shinra holding cells. This wasn’t just any old Shinra disciplinary facility- this was an evil place kept specifically for enhanced miscreants and evil doers. When Genesis had made his intentions known to Hollander, he hadn’t been kept in a lab or anything of the sort. He had been sent to this underground holding facility, bound in chains and left to rot. Despite being a first, he had been weakened enough to be kept in this place; it had been weeks since he had last consumed Angeal’s blood and Cloud’s beating hadn’t helped anything. 

He had been locked in here for too long for too many months. He still remembered the stale, coppery air as well as the platinum chains he had been cuffed with. There were still marks on his wrists, scars that would never heal now that he was actively degrading again.

They were travelling in a pathetic group of three, with the Wutaian child behind him and the attractive bird-man covering their rear. Genesis would be lying if he said he wasn’t afraid of re-entering Shinra, even if it was through Vincent Valentine’s wondrous ability. It wasn’t Shinra that frightened him really, it was the prospect of meeting Angeal after everything that had occurred. Genesis couldn’t face him again.

“We should just break everyone out of here all at once!” Yuffie chirped suddenly, eyeing a particularly distressed looking man behind a set of iron bars. He stared back, like her wild preposition had granted him freedom then and there. “Then, we can just leave in all the chaos and nobody will be any wiser.”

“And how do you suppose we do that?” Genesis asked dryly, his wing tightly folded against his back as he trudged down the narrow hallway. “Each door is locked by a different security key. Only the warden has a master key and even I, having stayed here for months, had no idea who carried that title.”

“You stayed here?” Vincent asked, his bright eyes shifting past the marred inhabitant of each cell they walked by. Genesis swallowed, hating his own talkative nature for the billionth time in his short, unhappy life. He had just been alone for so long, now everything seemed to spill out of him, like a spoiled milk carton turned askew.  “So that was what changed your perspective.”

“I’m helping you so I can get some of Sephiroth’s blood once your merry band of fools has saved him. I’m still self interested and as soon as this is over I’ll be happy to never speak to any of you again.” 

“We get it,” Yuffie rolled her eyes, her fingers hitting the iron bars they passed by. “You still suck. Shocker .”

“How is your back doing?” Genesis suddenly piped up, turning to smile at the girl. He felt his lips twitch a bit higher when a look of incredulity crossed her adorably nauseating face. “It looked quite bad last I saw it-”

“Last I heard, your body doesn’t repair itself.” Vincent murmured, the barrel of his gun suddenly tapping on Genesis’s shoulder like death knocking on his door. The red-head pursed his lips though he maintained his smirk. He, unfortunately, was attracted to strong-willed, dark haired men. “Keep your mouth shut and you might survive long enough to fix that issue.”

Genesis did as he was told, if only because he knew Zackary would require a good, thorough talking to once he was found; a conversation he was obviously required to participate in. After a few moments in silence, the pathway seemed to open up, the cells pushing deeper into the walls as if to hide their inhabitants away from prying eyes. They were coming upon the SOLDIER cells, a true manifestation of hell on earth.

Genesis had not missed his time away.

They continued down the cool passage, barely a whisper uttered between them despite the clear agitation of the Wutaian. She looked about as irked as Genesis felt, not that he would ever let it be known to the surrounding plebeians. 

Where some of the previous prisoners had stared and gawked at them, none of the captured SOLDIERs made any acknowledgement they were passing by. Most of the prisoners kept in this place were beaten badly enough to maintain comatose for weeks, or they were being actively experimented on which meant an entirely new level of unconsciousness. In the latter case, the science department was already watching, waiting for any unnatural changes.

“There's no guards in this area?” Vincent finally questioned aloud. In the few short minutes of silence, Genesis had missed the sound of human speech. He had become deprived of things he didn’t even know to miss being trapped down here.

“The people kept here are denied their consciousness so while there are cameras, there are very few active infantry this far below Shinra.” Genesis glanced about the dank area, suddenly weary and frightened, like something was bound to leap out of the shadows. His time here had done that to him, made him cower at the darkness he had once proudly illuminated. “Its likely Zackary won’t be conscious-”

“Genesis?!” A painfully familiar voice shouted, and the red-head froze as if a blade or, more likely, a gun had been pointed to his chest. Neither Vincent nor Yuffie waited for him to address anything; they dashed forward, stopping just before a large shadowed cell. “I’m so happy to see you-!”

“He is awake!” Yuffie yelled, her voice echoing in the stone area ominously. Even Vincent shifted as if the sound was too loud in such a space. “What else are you lying about, you old, red man?!”

“Yeah!” He suddenly exclaimed, his voice even louder than Yuffie’s. With the excitement a degraded, ‘old’ man like Genesis could never have, Zack leapt to the bars, his knuckles nearly white. For once in his life, the red-head didn’t look down on the state the second class was in, he looked only at his face: unscarred, smooth, and bright as it always should be. There was dirt and bruising, but he looked no less the kind, young man Angeal had raised. “I can’t believe you left Angeal behind! You know he’s in love with you, don’t you?!”

“I thought you had said you were happy to see me…” Genesis snarked, careful to avoid the puppy’s prying eyes. He wasn’t here to fix the relationships he had already destroyed, he was here to fix his quickly dwindling life span. 

“There's no time to talk. Where is Angeal Hewely being kept?” Vincent asked, reaching through the bars to grab ahold of Zackary’s wrist. 

Zack stared hard at Genesis before looking at Vincent, his fingers flexing around the man’s outstretched claw. The Wutaian girl looked down at the motion oddly. 

“Angeal knew you guys were coming! I got caught on purpose ‘cause he knew you guys would need a way to find him!” Zack blinked a few times like what he had said made perfect, logical sense and then narrowed his eyes, his head swishing back and forth like he was expecting a guard to pass by. Genesis could only guess he hadn’t been kept down here for long; it was a good thing no matter how one looked at it. “He’s under house arrest. They have him secured in his room on the 49th floor! Go to him while you still can!”

“I’ve been to the 49th floor before. Yuffie, I’ll drop you and the ex-SOLDIER off there and return once Zack has been deposited in Seventh Heaven.” Vincent looked down, his crimson eyes ever watchful. Genesis felt as if he was looking into the horrid patchwork that constituted the weave of his soul, or perhaps the dark haired man was just pitying him. It was a difficult thing to tell. “If he tries anything in this state, don’t hesitate to finish him.”

Chapter Text

“You are stepping on my jacket, you impatient child-!” Genesis griped as he and Yuffie struggled through the vents towards Angeal's room. Vincent Valentine, with all of his charms, wit, and allure, had dumped them in no other location than Shinra’s old, stinking vents. Genesis, in all of his diminutive, degraded glory fit gracefully within the space- that was aside from the fact there was a child trying to race him through. 

“You’re getting on my nerves with how slow you’re going! If you would just let me pass you-!” Yuffie shoved his shoulder roughly, eliciting a gasp from him before he shoved back, with twice the force.

“There isn’t room to pass, dimwit! Don’t you dare think about shoving me with your bony, little shoulder again!” With that, Genesis pushed down on the metal plating beneath him to rise up taller than Yuffie in a show of supremacy. Unfortunately for them both, even degraded Genesis still had most of the weight of a dying man- a weight far too heavy to be pushing down on a cheap ventilation plate. After a second of successful glaring at the girl, the vent fell out from under them, the drywall falling through almost as soon as they made contact. Genesis fell first, with Yuffie and the remainder of the ceiling crashing down around him, sending arthritic pains into his degrading bones. 

“G-Genesis…?” A warm, low voice uttered just a few moments after the cloud of dust settled. After struggling for a wasted second, Genesis let his head fall back so his plaster dusted bangs could fall away and give him sight: pure, beautiful sight of the man he had adored so much, once long ago…

Who was he bullshitting? Of course Genesis was still head over heels. It hadn’t even been a year! 

Angeal stood gracefully tall as he always had, the strength of his posture undiminished despite the wariness present in his eyes. His hair had grown longer as had his stubble; Genesis had used to be the one to trim it for him and keep the SOLDIER looking tidy and handsome. 

He still did look handsome, if a little roguish and unkempt. What he would do to run his fingers through those dark strands again. What he would do to have Angeal forgive him even though he of all people should be the one to hate Genesis most. 

“I’m here too, boulder shoulders!” Yuffie shouted, springing from the pile like an untrained chocobo. “And we’re going to take your blood whether you’re willing or not! So you better sit down or we’ll have to remove the arm from the boulder-”

“Aren’t you the kid that turned me to stone a few months ago…?” Angeal muttered, his light eyes creasing, though they never once left Genesis’s fallen form. The red-head would be lying if he said the motion irked him. He couldn't remove his own eyes from Angeal’s sad blue ones.

“She is nothing more than a menacing child.” Genesis sighed, fluttering up weakly and creating another cloud of drywall. He shuddered for a moment, like the pain in his entire body was too much, but that wasn’t true; it was when Angeal lurched forward to catch him that Genesis really felt immeasurable pain. He had never deserved the absolute care the other SOLDIER had offered him. Instead he turned away, hiding the traitorous emotion just as he had done with his degradation. “Zackary sent us here. He told us you were expecting a group to-”

“Why’d you leave, Gen?” Angeal asked softly, setting the mug of liquid away. Genesis had no idea what it might be, he had long lost his sense of smell and taste. “I knew for the longest time you were doing things behind my back. I thought if I waited long enough you’d tell me what was going on.”

“Boy did you think wrong. Are you sure your brain didn’t stay stone-” Yuffie interjected, but a fierce look from the red-head had her claiming Angeal’s mug to saunter away towards the couch with a huff. “Whatever, take your time. It's not like people are dying out there.”

“I think we have enough time for one conversation.” Angeal reasoned, crossing his arms in that way that usually meant disappointment. Genesis had grown used to seeing him use the gesture towards the puppy. “That is if you’re willing to have one.”

“What do you want me to say Angeal? I left so you wouldn’t have to be complicit when I was responsible for the death and torture of an innocent civilian. I left because I didn’t want you to have to betray your silly, unreachable principles of honour, pride, and justice!” Genesis felt a cruel smirk pull at his lips, but when he felt his muscles tremble, he turned away again. “I left to protect you .”

“You left to protect yourself. ” Angeal said resolutely, though his eyes held the same pain Genesis could feel clenching tightly around his heart. They had known each other for so long, it was like in a single glance Angeal could pinpoint the exact problem. Genesis had never been able to do that for him. “I’m just sorry you felt you couldn’t trust me enough to share your burdens.”

“Hey!” Yuffie interjected, emerging over the side of the couch. “Zack just texted me to ask if you could video call so he can be apart of-”

“There's no one I trust anymore!” Even if Angeal was right, it was humiliating being laid bare- like a knight deprived of his armour, a turtle taken from its shell… Genesis knew only fear, hatred, and self-gain. When he had let go of Angeal, he had also let go of any morals he might have deluded himself with. “I was just- I was simply tired of always taking from you! I thought my absence would be your liberation .”

“But you never wanted to ask how I felt about it?” Angeal tilted his head then, just slightly. Genesis hated seeing how unaffected he seemed. That had always been the SOLDIER’s strong point: remaining calm when neither Genesis nor Sephiroth could. 

“You’ve never known what's good for yourself, Angeal. If you did, this relationship would have ended years ago.” Genesis did force a smirk out then, taking a confident step forward to place an accusatory finger against Angeal’s chest. “You wouldn’t be imprisoned by this godsforsaken company if you knew what was good for you-”

“I’m old enough to decide that for myself, Gen.” Angeal said, gently taking his hand. Genesis felt his bottom lip tremble angrily, like he was a child seconds away from tears.

After a second of charged, angry silence Yuffie’s annoyingly high voice rang out.

Again .

“Hey, yeah your dads are fighting. Uhuh,” She paused for a moment, clearly waiting for whoever was on the other side of the call to speak. If Genesis hadn’t been so preoccupied counting Angeal’s eyelashes, he might have been surprised the girl actually knew how to wait before cutting others off when speaking. She had never shown him such refrain. “Can you just get Vincent to zap you over here?”

“Well I’ve made the better choice for both of us so if you could please donate some of your blood, we can be finished with this-” Genesis sniffled then, surprised to feel his eyes watering pathetically. He had thought degradation had robbed him of the ability to cry. 

“Genesis,” Angeal placed a warm hand on his face, just tilting it and forcing their eyes to meet. “Look at me?”

Despite wanting to resist, the red-head allowed his face to be held. It would probably be the last time he would be able to feel Angeal's warm, calloused hands against his skin. The thought made him blubber foolishly when next he tried to speak.

“There are no dreams… no honour remains.”

“Can you guys hurry this up, please?” Yuffie groaned. 

“I’ll give you the blood, but I want you to promise to come back here. After Sephiroth is saved, come back here and have a proper conversation with me. Then we can decide what we both want.” Angeal looked at him tenderly, a sad sort of hope alight in his once shadowed eyes. “Together.”

Genesis took a painfully deep breath and stepped away, cold without Angeal’s touch.

 “As you wish.”

“There's still a bit of a problem.” Reeve started, pacing in his usual manner even though he was wrapped up to his neck in bandages. Shinra had not gone easy on him when they realised how far his betrayal had gone. He could barely remember the details, but his skin remembered. They stung with every step he took, but he couldn’t remain still. He had been stationary afor long enough. “The effects of the degradation have been successfully staved off, but-”

Reeve paused as Zack who was in a similarly rough, if less precarious, state hopped up onto the counter and rubbed his nose. 

“So they won’t have to keep drinking Angeal’s blood, right? It's a one and done sort of thing?” 

“Unfortunately, now that degradation has begun occurring within the nucleus of their cells it will be nigh impossible to completely cure.” Cait chirped up beside him. The animatronic had also undergone torture- the Turks had practically taken him apart piece by sad piece. It was only now, after Reeve had awakened that he had been able to repair the poor robot. “After the DNA is destroyed, the cell slowly starts self-destructing from within. It's only a matter of time before he starts crumblin’ again!” 

Zack stopped swinging his legs for a second, his jaw agape and eyes wide. He looked torn between shock and horror, but that was the unfortunate reality of experimentation. Reeve had known Hollander’s experiments were bound to decay later on, he just hadn’t expected it to occur so soon. It shouldn’t have, all things considered. This was only a problem because of Hojo. 

“With Mr. Hewely’s blood, however, we can probably keep Cloud and Tifa from degrading for at least the next week. I’ll try to search for a more permanent solution, but there is another issue.” Reeve paused to stop behind a pretty, cushioned chair. His fingers flexing over the edge as he dared to bring up the secondary wave of issues they were to face. Shinra hadn’t just left them on death’s door. “Both Tifa and Cloud are also mutating at an exceedingly alarming pace.”

“‘Mutating’?” Barret repeated, his brows furrowing.

Reeve let out a pained sigh before meeting each person’s eyes reluctantly. Of the remaining participants of Cloud’s rag-tag gang, only Aerith dared to meet his hollowed, dark eyes. Vincent lowered his head. He had probably heard this before.

“Now that his cells aren’t self-destructing, they’re changing exponentially .” Reeve swallowed, hoping to convey the severity of what was transpiring, but he was met primarily with confusion. He felt his shoulders fall. He was just going to have to say this one plainly.  “To put things in layman's terms: Cloud is turning into a Nibel wolf.”

As if he was the case in point, Cloud tumbled through the door with dirt in his hair and hands, like he had been digging through Seventh Heaven’s flower beds. Reeve looked away when Cid stumbled after the blonde, looking unamused. 

“Hey! He buried the Tiny Bronco’s keys in the front yard and I can’t find em’!” Cid exclaimed, throwing his hands up, like this was Cloud’s normal behaviour. “Where’s Vincent? He can sniff em’ out!”

Before anyone could dare to answer the pilot, Marlene appeared from the stairs, her eyes brighter than Reeve had ever seen. If things had gone differently, both of Cloud’s children could have been left without him and Tifa. It wasn’t an easy thought to live with, no matter how much evil needed to be squashed in the world. 

“Cloud! Do you want to play with me? I saw you playing toss with Denzel earlier!” Marlene smiled, a red bouncy ball clasped in her tiny arms. 

“Cid, your keys are safe down there. They’re hidden away from Shinra’s sight.” Cloud said, justifying the behaviour like it was something everyone did. Reeve almost felt relief, happy to see the blonde’s personality intact, if not for the sheepish arm that Cloud brought to his neck. Then, despite his stoic expression, his tail started wagging, fast enough to nearly wack Cid who still stood behind him. “Maybe a little later, Marlene? We need to finish talking first.”

“Fine,” Marlene conceded, puffing her cheeks out cutely. “Tifa promised to play mermaid with me anyway!” 

At her age she didn’t realise what had happened- she didn’t realise how close Cloud and Tifa had been to leaving forever. Nor did she realise how fast their mutations could steal away the simple, happy life she had been raised on. Reeve watched her run up the stairs before Cloud spoke again, his once light eyes rimmed by black. He wasn’t where Vincent was at yet, but he was getting there fast. 

“Listen, now that I’ve been cured of degradation I know you guys think I’m going to lose it once I change, but I think my mutations combined with my suit will make me all the stronger.” Cloud’s ears twitched atop his head, almost sheepishly, and then he stood upright. He looked like the man Reeve remembered- the young, heroic boy who had agreed to take an entire corporation on just to save a few animals. His friends saw it too. With curious glances and less than affectionate nudges, some of the averted gazes turned back upwards toward the blonde. To look at Cloud for all he had overcome and for everything he decided to carry with him- maybe even for the future they hope he’d bring about. “We can’t breach Shinra. But I don’t think we have to.”

After a second of silence Genesis, who was still hanging around Seventh Heaven, began tapping his foot obnoxiously, his nails raised to his face as though he was examining them rather than listening.  

“Dramatics don’t suit you, get on with it.”

Cloud lifted a brow at the man’s demand, as if he was wondering why exactly he was still hanging around and then seemed to remember himself. 

“We need to force Rufus’s hand and draw Sephiroth out.” Cloud said resolutely. “If we go to Shinra, the rest of us’ll get gassed, but if we can force him to come to us we can avoid that completely.”

“And how’re we supposed to do that? Tifa’s stuck in the tub and you-!” Yuffie paused as Cloud began sniffing at the air distractedly before catching himself and looking straight ahead like he was listening to her. “You’ve only got two weeks before you start degrading again… That's not even mentioning the fact you’re turning into a dog! Having two animals on the team is enough!”

Vincent, Nanaki, Cloud, and Zack shared a look at each other then, like they were all contemplating who made up that number. Reeve cleared his throat before the conversation could derail any further. 

“The reactors are our best chance. If we can disable the reactors, Shinra will be forced to send troops after us.” Reeve put a thoughtful hand to his chin, his mind rapidly working out the kinks and details of his quickly formulating plan. “If we can cause enough trouble, they’ll be forced to send out Sephiroth.”

Chapter Text

Their plan had been straightforward and decisive. Hit one reactor every day. Any less would leave Cloud and Tifa to their degradation and would take too long. Any more would leave their team exhausted and overworked. They had divided everyone into three teams: Yuffie, Vincent, and Cait. Cid, Genesis, and Nanaki, and lastly Cloud, Barret, and Zack. Reeve had informed them of a reactor scram- a code to power down the entire reactor without causing any outside damage. From there, they would damage the reactor’s control rods which would compromise any chance of a reboot any time in the near future. 

It was the third day of their operation which meant it was Barret’s team that was going to head out. So far, despite devastating reports and exclamations, Shinra hadn’t done anything about the previous two reactors they had shut down. So they continued as they had previously, and entered Sector Seven’s reactor dressed in Shinra uniform, courtesy of Reeve. Since their operation was more focused on the completion of disabling reactors, there wasn’t really a need to push the offensive; getting in and out promised them time and safety. 

As of right now, they hadn’t been stopped by anyone for any type of inspection. Shutting down different reactors each day didn’t exactly lay out a clear path for Shinra to follow. At best, they could improve each reactor’s defense and hope to deter Reeve’s plan, but even that wasn’t a surefire way to stop them. There were only so many infantrymen and there were still six active reactors. 

The layout of the reactor, unlike the blueprint map, wasn’t straightforward at all. In person, it just looked like there were halls and halls of metal tubing and industrial cement, and enough airlocked doors to leave someone lost for days. Even Zack, who had worked at Shinra and gone through reactor maintenance before, seemed lost. It wasn’t like Barret could rely on Cloud’s enhanced senses either. Being this far into the reactor, the scent of mako and iron was cloyingly strong even in Barret’s own nose- a sort of heavy, musty scent. Something definitely unnatural. The hum of technology was blaring too, especially when it was accompanied by the rush of mako. You couldn’t hold a conversation unless you wanted to shout, which wasn’t a problem exactly. Barret wasn’t even sure he’d hear Cloud over the sounds of the reactor, not that he seemed particularly talkative. 

Cloud hadn’t ever been the chattiest guy around- he was quiet, straightforward, and almost pessimistic to a fault. Barret had learned that early on, which was one of the reasons they clashed so much. Even when hope was right in front of him, Cloud seemed reluctant to take it. Now that it wasn’t anywhere in sight, Barret knew the blonde was relying on his friends to keep his spirits up. At least that's what Barret thought he needed; Cloud’s silence had seemed to start around the time Sephiroth had gotten taken by Shinra… It was hard to say if it was his usual pessimism, or something completely different weighing on his mind. 

“When we find Sephiroth, what’re you gonna say to him?” Barret asked suddenly, energetically catching up to Cloud’s side. They hadn’t seen any Shinra personnel for at least the past three hallways so it was pretty safe to converse. Honestly, Barret didn’t like silence too much; living with Marlene didn’t give him a chance to get accustomed either. 

“What?” Cloud murmured, looking down at his feet and then towards Barret reluctantly. 

“I know what I’m gonna say!” Zack said, placing his hands behind his head, like they were just a couple of friends taking a casual stroll. Barret was glad Zack was here. He was a good influence on Cloud and would often help him find his own words. “I’m gonna say, ‘Glad to have you back!’ and then clap him on the back and bring him in for a hug.”

After hearing his response, Barret turned his dark eyes toward Cloud, studying his reaction. It didn’t take a genius to see the uncertainty painted on his face, to see the conflict. They had worked fine together previously so Barret hadn’t really considered his question a difficult one to answer. If Cloud was this tripped up, it had to mean something completely different. It had to mean Tifa was right . 

“I don’t know, I guess I’ll think of it later.” Cloud walked forward a few steps more before glaring back at Barret. “Why’d you even ask?”

Suddenly put on the spot, all Barret could do was rub a hand at his hair and then clear his throat, hiding the sheepishness from his revelation. 

“I mean, we’re doing all of this to save him so I thought you’d want to talk about him.” Barret cleared his throat, just glancing at Zack through the corner of his eyes. The other SOLDIER seemed to understand what he was getting at and began nodding enthusiastically. “I mean, if you didn’t care about him-”

“I do care.” Cloud interrupted, completely stopping to look back at him fiercely. Barret stopped too, more shocked then he let on about the outward display of emotion. After all, no matter how much he pretended to constantly be on top of things, he really didn’t understand how Cloud felt. Well, he thought he had but that was apparently wrong. 

“But what sort of ‘care’ are we talking about?” Zack pressed, also stopping to face Cloud with his arms crossed. Barret wasn’t sure if he was more frightened of Zack’s question, or its answer. When Cloud stared at his friend for a second too long, the SOLDIER prompted him again. “Buddy?”

“What sort of care ? What does that even mean?” The blonde snapped, defensively. 

Defensive Cloud was someone Barret was very familiar with, and just like when Marlene got defensive, Barret knew just how to react, with patient, thorough explanations. In this case, Barret could repeat all the crap he had heard from Aerith and Yuffie, but he didn’t think Cloud needed or wanted to hear all that. What he needed to hear was something understanding. 

“Well there's friends, and then theres a different sort of care-”

“What the hell are you guys talking about?” Cloud looked down then, like he couldn’t even believe they were talking about this particular subject right then.  Barret felt for him on that one- he didn’t either.

 “Sephiroth told me he confessed, Spike.” Zack admitted, sighing like the weight of the world was finally off of his shoulders. Barret blinked his chocolate eyes, sympathetic. That seemed like a heavy burden to carry. “Whew, glad to have that out. You don’t know how many times I almost-”

“Wait- the hell did you just say?!” Barret exclaimed, tearing off his fake Shinra helmet, to grab Zack’s shoulders. The dark haired SOLDIER shrugged at him unhelpfully, but that did little to stop Barret’s spluttering. “Sephiroth did? W-when-  and how ?”

When Barret finally got over his initial shock, he realised Cloud’s face had turned as red as a beet, his eyes bashful and fleeting and looking everywhere but them. Barret hadn’t known he had been dealing with Reeve’s shit and a confession! 

 “I- turned him down back then.” The blonde muttered, like that made the situation better. Barret honestly wasn’t sure that helped or not. Sephiroth had been living with them for months. How had that even affected Cloud’s delicate psyche?

“Yeah.. he told me that too…” Zack acquiesced, finally moving off the rail to walk forward. 

They walked forward in a stilted sort of silence after that, each person far too consumed with their previous conversation, but none wanting to address a single factor about it. Barret didn’t blame Cloud for going silent, but he couldn’t deny how many questions had bubbled to the front of his mind either. 

Sure Cloud had always been private, but just how long ago had Sephiroth confessed feelings for him? He was the General of Shinra and that made him a celebrity and probably not someone that would be good for Cloud, or anyone for that matter. Barret wouldn’t erase the few, good deeds Sephiroth had done though, like save their lives and help them repair Seventh Heaven and…

Well, maybe there were more than he thought. 

“I don’t know- I don’t know what I’m feeling.” Cloud said suddenly, speaking unprompted. It was a rare thing for him to talk without being otherwise addressed, but Barret knew that probably meant it was something that had been on the forefront of his mind for a while. Neither he nor Zack said a word, afraid he might clam up again. “I just think that he should be here…”

“Ha, you sound like my wife. She was always so caught up in thinking about everything else and I just knew I loved her...” Barret laughed, though it didn’t at all meet his eyes. It was a sad sort of laugh, one that reminded him of the hollowness in his chest even if he ignored it on most days. “Sometimes you don’t need to have a clear answer. Just wanting to be by their side is enough.”

Cloud really looked toward him then, Barret could feel the weight of his gaze even despite his silence. 

“You're a punk, but you deserve someone who's gonna treat you right.” Barret paused for a second before placing a hand on Cloud’s shoulder. The motion felt right, or more right then the advice he had given half a second earlier. Sometimes, he couldn’t stop himself from reminiscing about Myrna, she had been his entire life. That didn’t mean he liked older, Shinra-coddled men though. “Don’t like Sephiroth too much myself, honestly.”

“He’s not as bad as he seems, he’s just -” Zack began, but Barret didn’t let him get far. He raised a bushy eyebrow and crossed his arms. 

“Shinra’s lapdog?”

“An asshole?” Cloud asked a second after, earning a snort from Barret. Looked like there was still one thing they could agree on. 

“He’s a little emotionally stunted is all!” Zack countered once again, his grin a little lopsided if sincere. “Once we save him, I’m gonna tell him you guys-”

“There will be no need for that.”

Cloud had been on edge for the entire time they had been in the mako reactor. His unease hadn’t exactly waned when his love life had become the hot topic of conversation between them either. He definitely hadn’t wanted Barret knowing about Sephiroth’s confession- at least not before Cloud had figured out what exactly he was feeling himself. 

But then, just as they had entered the heart of the reactor, Sephiroth was fluttering down toward them. His black wings, illuminated nearly green in the light of the mako bubbling beneath them. He looked no different than he had a few days prior, but he was too far to properly examine. Cloud didn’t miss his drawn sword either. 

Without missing a beat, the blonde put a finger to his earbud and spoke, willing Cait or someone to know what to do with the critical information. 

“Sephiroth is here .”

A chorus of voices spoke through the earbud, but Cloud didn’t have a chance to decipher what was being said. Barret was pointing an angry finger towards the General, his previously soft eyes now narrowed and angry. 

“How’d you know we were gonna be here?” He shouted, motioning with his other hand behind his back to Cloud and Zack. The blonde wasn’t exactly sure what he was motioning them to do, but it kind of looked like he wanted them to hit the scram button while he distracted Sephiroth. It wasn’t a bad idea. 

As soon as Zack made the slightest motion forward, Sephiroth landed on the floor, his eight foot blade pointed toward his neck. 

“It wasn’t difficult. I just had to wait and see which surveillance cameras were being looped. Your animatronic friend isn't as discreet as you thought.” Sephiroth kept his gaze trained on Barret, and it only took Cloud a second to realise there was something visually wrong with the man. His eyes were no longer mako green- they were golden, the same shade of any common command materia. It had to be the effect of a manipulate materia. “This encounter will occur in two ways.”

Of course they couldn’t just swoop in and save him. Shinra wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to have him fully under their control, not a second time. 

“I don’t think we can reason with him. He’s under Shinra’s control.” Cloud interrupted, making eye contact with Zack and then Barret. He gripped his dice tightly in his hand, ready to transform. “Maybe we can try casting our own manipulate materia on him? Or maybe mini again? Fighting a kid version of him should be easier-”

“Cloud.” Sephiroth said, his voice low and displeased like the blonde had never heard it before. There even seemed to be a sliver of annoyance; Cloud would be lying if he didn’t feel a shiver crawl down his back. “You and your companions will accept arrest, or you may struggle and then I’ll arrest you. Those are your choices.” 

  “I thought we were past the phase in our relationship when you only gave me shit choices?” The blonde snarked, transforming and drawing his own, wide-edged blade. He didn’t want to fight Sephiroth, but until they came up with a viable solution, it was hard to see any other choice. 

 “I thought you’d have learned to submit to me by now, Cloud.” The General all but hummed, his tongue rolling over Cloud’s name like it was the most precious thing in the world. The blonde would be lying if he hadn’t missed hearing the sound of Sephiroth’s voice- especially his own name. But not like this. This wasn’t the Sephiroth he had grown to care about. 

Without wasting a second, Barret pressed a metal finger to his earbud, his other arm clinging to the shaking railing. They were in the heart of the reactor, standing on the most flimsy, narrow bridge Shinra could have crafted. In front of them was the reactor control panel. Beneath them was an endless depth of mako.  

 “Hey Vincent, have you been in the Sector 7 reactor? Can you bring a manipulate materia here?” Barret asked, his voice echoing in the wide chamber. 

“No, I'll have to travel there, like you do.” Vincent murmured, barely audible above the sound of clashing metal. 

“I’ll go too, Sephiroth will want to see me!” Genesis piped up, all too loud in their ear pieces. 

Cloud winced hard at the voice, his ears twitching. With a swift kick, he pushed off of Sephiroth’s sword to deftly return to the metal bridge, his chest heaving with effort. 

 “Will he?”

“Will I what ?” Sephiroth inquired, sweeping down with his sword to force the blonde on the defensive. He smirked as Cloud blocked the force of his strike, his back nearly colliding with the railing.

“Let’s switch out, Cloudy! I’ve got this!” Zack shouted, reaching out with a strong arm to keep Cloud from breaking the bridge.

“We’ll do this together!” The blonde said instead, flashing his friend a grateful gaze even though his arms were shaking.

“Uh, I’ve got a gun, do you want me to-” Barret barely got a chance to speak before both Cloud and Zack shouted simultaneously.

“No!”  

In time with their words, both met Sephiroth’s blade head on, but neither was able to follow through as they were blocked by a thin, silver white blade. Instead of throwing the General off balance, they both got flung back. Again . Cloud just managed to land on the rail, but Zack was flung further, his hand just catching the ledge of the bridge. For a precarious moment, Cloud just watched him dangle, his feet swinging painfully bereft of ground. Before he could react, Sephiroth was on him again, no longer on the defensive; he released a flurry of strikes, each as dangerous as the last. 

Barret dashed over, grabbing ahold of Zack’s arm with ease, and pulled him over the ledge with worried eyes. 

“Man, they’re on a different level!” Zack exclaimed, his eyes wide and breathing rugged. His sword had completely broken with the force of Sephiroth’s blow and had been tossed haphazardly into the mako. Barret couldn’t even find it with his eyes. 

Cloud wouldn’t last like this. He could only fight so long with Sephiroth before burning out- they had learned a long time ago what a monster the silver-haired General was. Barret put his finger to his earbud again, impatiently. 

“Hey! Reeve, what the hell is the plan here? You’ve got something, right?!” After a second of silence, Barret’s anxiety got the better of him and he spoke again. “Cloud’s getting the short end of the stick out here!”

“Reeve isn’t actually here at the moment, he’s upstairs, giving Tifa her lunch-” Cait said, his cheerful voice very misplaced. Barret heard Cloud curse loudly and let himself nearly explode.

“Get off your goddamn rolly chair and give him the phone, then!” 

Cloud had gotten stronger after training with Sephiroth- it had become a daily routine of theirs to spar and practise, slowly learning the way the other worked. He had almost become familiar with the way Sephiroth fought because of that, but now that the General was controlled by Shinra, it felt like his style had completely changed. 

Sephiroth attacked wildly, his blows unrestrained and mania bright in his eerily golden eyes. When he struck at Cloud every blow was laced with power and the intent to kill. If the blonde was even a second late intercepting his attack, he would completely lose the rhythm of battle and be flung into one of the walls of the reactor. The only reason he didn’t slide straight into the mako pool was because he had been thrown hard enough to make an indent in the wall- an indent he was safely cradled in even if his back was bruised to high hell.

Cloud felt his sword lodge into the wall of the reactor too, cutting into a nearby pipe. A blast of hot, compressed air swelled and nearly cooked half of his face off right then and there. Sephiroth wasn’t even a second behind, his sword pointing straight toward his chest, ready for the final blow. Using his fear as fuel, Cloud pushed off against the wall and leaped in an arc, hoping to land somewhere near the reactor’s control panel.

Sephiroth grabbed his tail before he could make any distance between them, tossing him up like he was nothing more than a weightless piece of paper. 

“Is Vincent on his way yet?!” Cloud yelled, his ears plastered to the sides of his head as his stomach joined his other organs in crawling up his throat. Getting thrown by your tail was a sensation no animal or human should ever have to live through. 

“There's no reason to struggle on so fiercely.” Sephiroth crooned, following after him gracefully on his black wings. He sliced into Cloud, Masamune barely piercing his skin- it was a tortuous sort of attack, meant to prolong an enemy’s life rather than mortally injure them. Cloud wasn’t sure whether he preferred the death blows, or this. “Yield to me, Cloud and I’ll spare you the crimes of your companions.”

“Yeah, and what about your long list of crimes?” The blonde asked cockily, desperately trying to hide the pain on his face. Sephiroth didn’t stop his assault, but he did raise a curious brow at the question.

“I found a mini materia! I didn’t even remember I had this on me-” Zack started, and Cloud didn’t know what he felt, but it was something very close to relief.

“Just use it, Zack. Fuck .” Cloud breathed, casting another blizzaga and watching Sephiroth easily dodge out of it. He realised even while being stabbed, if he could focus just enough, he could get the spell off. Even though that didn’t guarantee it would hit its target.

“So, uh, casting on a moving target is kinda-” Zack barely had the chance to start before Cloud took a deep breath and grabbed at Sephiroth like a lunatic.

Being in the air when you couldn’t fly put the blonde at an immediate disadvantage, especially because the only reason he had been airborne was because Sephiroth was single handedly keeping him afloat. Instead of blocking or parrying his oncoming attack, the blonde just dodged out of the way of Masamune’s seeking blade and let himself descend, grabbing a hold of the General’s wings on his way down. It wasn’t a good angle, because it left practically all of him open to any of Sephiroth’s attacks, but part of the blonde didn’t believe Sephiroth had it in him to kill. When they crashed into the bridge, Cloud rolled on top of the taller man, his hands on his wings and knees straddling his waist. He couldn’t help but remember their time in the snow; it was unfortunate timing with his next thought recalling how naive he felt . Masamune poked out of his back, the sword cleanly cutting straight  through his abdomen. When Cloud vomited blood, he couldn’t even stop it from dripping onto Sephiroth’s face, he couldn’t keep the man incapacitated and clean. 

As if it spurred him on, Sephiroth’s tongue darted past his lips to catch some of the gore. He smirked, catching Cloud’s eyes on his mouth and that was about the final nail in the blonde’s coffin. Sephiroth- currently at least - didn’t have a single working brain cell left. He was gone. 

“Oh, it's actually a bio materia, not a mini…” Zack said suddenly, looking down and then  back towards Cloud. “Did it work?”

Cloud risked another glance at Sephiroth’s face and noticed it was a somewhat pale shade of green, though it was hard to tell whether it was the bio or the reflection of the surrounding mako. In time with the attention, the General gave a small, polite cough. 

“I don’t think that did anything.” Cloud said, unsure how exactly to move since he was actively subduing Sephiroth despite being also stabbed. He felt like if Masamune left his stomach, it might be more painful. “Do you have anything else that might help? Because right now, I’m pretty sure shit can’t get worse.”

“Uh they’re all green, it's kind of hard to tell which is which…” Zack murmured, dashing over to stand on Sephiroth’s wings. The General glared up at him, but made no motion to attack. “Maybe we should focus on getting that sword out of your, uh, stomach.”

“Take this potion!” Barret yelled, tossing a few toward Zack. He had been planning on dahsing over and beating Sephiroth as much as he could, but then a deep voice came through his earbud. 

“Barret, are you there?”

“Tell me something good!” Barret pleaded, counting the remaining items he had in his bag. Potions could stop bleeding, but they were no hospital suite.

“When regular monsters are under the influence of a manipulate materia, taking damage will usually interrupt any control over their minds.” Reeve said, his voice clear and determined- like a true leader. Barret wouldn’t admit it, but just hearing him gave him some semblance of calm.  “Has Cloud been able to injure Sephiroth?”

After getting his potion, Cloud and Sephiroth had returned to the air, and reverted back into a blur of slashing and clanging. It was impossible to tell what was going on from where he was. 

“Zack, has Sephiroth been hit yet?” Barret asked numbly. If he hadn’t, he didn’t know what to think, but despair seemed pretty likely. 

“It's hard to tell, I think Cloud has punched him at least once?” Zack reasoned, casting magic at random around the two. 

“Yes, I’ve hit him!” Cloud shouted, one of his swords shattering into a thousand shards of ice. Barret swallowed as he watched the blonde’s eyes glow with anger, remnants of glittering, broken frost raining down around him. “You guys have no faith in me-”

“Yeah, he's been hit and he’s still attacking like crazy.” Barret confirmed since Cloud hadn’t had the time to press his earbud.

“Hmm, it's as I thought then. We can’t interrupt it by normal means…” Reeve sighed, his voice fading out of the microphone.

“Barret, can you hear me?” A soft voice asked, and it only took a second for him to recognize it as Tifa. She had been tub-ridden even after her degradation had been temporarily healed. Unlike Cloud, her mutation left her complacent and alone with her own thoughts. Barret didn’t want to think of what happened if they failed here. 

“Tifa? Yeah, I can hear you.”

“Maybe try a psychological attack.” She said, her voice like a whisper in his earbud. It sounded like she was far away, or like speaking too loudly took a lot of effort she couldn’t expend. 

“You’re saying we should turn him into a frog, right?” Zack asked, pulling out another random materia. 

“You’d turn me before you even got close to hitting him!” Cloud growled, swatting at Sephiroth. The General caught his wrists all too happily, his terrifying eyes creasing. It was clear Cloud was fatigued after getting stabbed, even a potion couldn’t heal that. On the contrary, it seemed like Sephiroth was enlivened- he seemed more energetic than ever.  “Stop casting, Zack!”

Barret shot a few times toward Sephiroth, hoping to win Cloud his hands back, but Tifa’s voice caught his attention again, pulling him away from the quickly deteriorating situation. 

“Maybe if we can remind him enough of his past friends and allies, we can bring him back…” She reasoned, sympathetic and kind as she always was. “Try to appeal to his emotions.”

“It's as good a try as any…” Reeve muttered, and Barret could imagine his hand on his chin thoughtfully. All things aside, it wasn’t exactly a comforting comment.

“I can’t believe you literally sent us into this shithole,” Barret murmured, shaking his head as he readied his gun. “Without a plan.”

“I didn’t expect Shinra to send out Sephiroth this early on! Only two reactors are down!” Reeve argued, his voice the most emotional Barret had heard it. “That's not even half of the reactors powering Midgar! It doesn’t make logical sense that Sephiroth is there!”

“Why isn’t Vincent here yet?” Cloud asked, headbutting Sephiroth since his wrists still weren’t free. The General grabbed his jaw before he could go through with the motion, twisting his face to the side to expose his neck.

“We’ve already picked up Angeal Hewely. We’re about to begin approaching the reactor.” Nanaki explained a second before Sephiroth all but tore the earbud from his ear. Cloud bit into his hand, just catching the earbud at the cost of his blade. He only had two swords left in his arsenal. “Cid is flying Yuffie over as we speak. They should be able to reach you before.” 

As if she was called to action, Yuffie came dashing into the control room, already transformed and her shuriken at the ready. 

“Move aside! The rose of Wutai has entered!” With the precision of a machine, she threw her shuriken bonking Sephiroth on the head expertly. Cloud, who was finally freed of his touch, reacted quickly, landing by her side.  “You don’t know how long I’ve wanted to beat you up!”

Cid strolled in behind her, a mini materia clasped in his hand. He tossed it to Barret with a trusting nod.

“Kids these days…” He murmured, tossing his half used cigarette into the mako. “I’m headin’ back out, saw too many Shinra helicopters out there, thought I’d thin their numbers. Think you can help me SOLDIER?”

“Leave it to me Captain, wasn’t much help here anyway!” Zack replied, giving Cloud a sorry look. 

With Yuffie at his side, Cloud felt a surge of energy and leaped forward in tandem with the younger girl, both of their weapons pointed toward Sephiroth. Cloud leaped higher than she did, forcing Sephiroth to block his attack, while Yuffie went for his knees. With Masamune above his head, Sephiroth could only try to kick at Yuffie who nimbly dodged out of the way; then with a twist, she kicked the back of his knees hard forcing him toward the bridge.

“No matter how many allies you bring, you won’t be able to beat me, Cloud.” Sephiroth snarled, glaring up at the blonde. 

“We’re not here to beat you, idiot!” Cloud said, standing a little straighter. He couldn’t stop his tail from wagging  a little at the excitement of everything. With a decent plan, and the rest of his friends on the way things felt like they were looking up. Saving Sephiroth didn’t seem like such a far off thing. “We’re here to save you!”

Sephiroth paused at Cloud’s words, like he was a robot that had encountered something outside of its coding and didn’t know how to react. Their short lived victory only lasted a second as Sephiroth fluttered upwards, a dark sort of anger colouring his pale face.

“That's exactly right!” Angeal shouted, dashing in front of Yuffie and Cloud. With just the edge of his massive sword, he blocked Masamune, the strength of his movements outside of the realm of reality. Cloud was so thoroughly impressed he almost felt his jaw drop. “Sephiroth, come back to us. I know you’re in there!” 

Sephiroth immediately pulled back like he had been burned, his light eyes narrowing at the sight of his old friend. Cloud had the undeniable feeling that Tifa’s plan was working. 

“Three friends go into battle. One is captured, one flies away,” Genesis paused, landing on the railing like a sad, beaten raven. As the red-head continued to speak, Sephiroth’s strikes became more angry, like hearing LOVELESS tore open some old, painful wound. Cloud grunted, struggling to block even with Angeal beside him. “The one that is left becomes a hero.”

“Shut up!” Cloud snapped, dodging in time with Angeal to avoid Sephiroth’s last, most hate-filled strike. Like nothing more than soft clay, the bridge was cut in half, dropping into the mako with a sullen splash. “You’re pissing him off!”

Angeal, who had also barely dodged in time, took in a large breath, glaring at his now fluttering friend.

“Gen, now is not the time…”

With Vincent’s arrival, he had luckily been able to escort Barret and Yuffie to the area prior to the heart of the reactor- a room that wasn’t almost fully submerged in mako and far less dangerous. 

“You’re all just hindrances. You’re here to slow me down.” Sephiroth grimaced, refusing to meet any of their eyes. While he had been uncharacteristically playful whilst fighting Cloud, the arrival of his first class friends seemed to have sobered him. “I’ll tell you this now. Yield or die .”

“We’ve done this before, Sephiroth!” Angeal said, swinging his massive blade and crashing it into the reactor’s control panel. He didn’t retrieve it. “I was willing to wait for you to accept my friendship back then, and I’ll wait again!” 

Cloud was ready to jump to his defense, but Genesis blocked on Angeal’s behalf first, his molting wings shuddering. 

“I may be envious of your strength, status, and beauty, but,” Genesis gazed deeply into Sephiroth’s golden eyes, clearly attempting to convey a thousand unsaid things with just his gaze. Sephiroth didn’t linger, though for half a second he did hesitate. With a sweep of his wings, he drew back slashing towards the fraying first class. “Oh, dammit I’m sorry alright? I’m sorry I lied to you and used you, and attacked your boyfr-”

Cloud jumped in front of both men, his saw-tooth blade drawn and eyes sincere. Tifa had said they needed to get through to him emotionally and he was last in line. The first class had done their part, and now it was time for him to step up to the plate. Even if he didn’t feel half as qualified as them and he was only half as sure about his feelings.

“Sephiroth! I- we’ve only known each other for a few- for a few months,” Cloud paused as the man swept forward pressing the offensive. Cloud swallowed, the pressure of Masamune pushing against his sword negligible in comparison to the mental dilemma he was trying to conquer. “And I know you, well you mentioned…Like, a while ago that there may have been some sort of feelings-”

“Goddess help us, would you hasten this, Strife? Get it out alrea-” Genesis was sure to continue running his mouth if not for the firm hand Angeal placed on his shoulder. 

“Don’t you see, Gen?” Angeal whispered, leaning forward. “Sephiroth’s strikes are much weaker. Some part of him has broken free, he wants to listen so let the kid speak.”

“Well you remember that. Probably.” Cloud continued, his heart racing. He couldn’t believe he had to give this speech right then, in front of one billion Shinra cameras. It didn’t matter if Cait had looped them, he had a live audience listening in too which just made it more difficult to get out. “I- I’ve given that entire uh- question?- a lot of thought, and…”

A loud explosion suddenly shook the reactor, accompanied by the sound of shouting and then gunshots. Zack came rolling through the doorway, and nearly off the shattered bridge if not for Nanaki catching his boot in between his jaws. 

“You're doing great, Spikey! Keep at it!” Zack cheered and Cloud actually looked back at him thankfully. It was a mistake. The second he broke eye contact with Sephiroth, he slashed at Cloud’s trembling hands, forcing him to relinquish his sword. Without missing a beat, Sephiroth wrapped his leather clad hand around his neck and shot upwards, his wings an electric blur in the light of the quickly descending mako. 

“I’ve had enough of this nonsense. You’ll be the first example of disobedience to Shinra.” Sephiroth kept flying higher, his grip on Cloud’s neck making his eyes swell with water. 

“I told you not to leave…” Cloud choked out, his hands prying at Sephiroth’s fingers, trying to loosen them even just a bit. It was useless, even with his claws, Sephiroth let his gloves and skin tear underneath the blonde's assault. He didn't so much as flinch. Cloud coughed hard, as he struggled painfully to speak, his throat bobbing as a massive pressure resounded in his head. “I told you not to leave, and now I’ll never even be able to tell you-”

And then Sephiroth dropped him. Cloud didn’t know how high up they were, all he knew was one second he was dying of suffocation and the next there was too much air. He was plummeting downwards at an alarming speed, his long hair whipping around him like a glowing silhouette; a stream of thankful coughing tore from his throat, forcing him to curl into himself as sweet, sweet oxygen returned to his lungs. Sephiroth was a terrifying silver blur directly above him, but there was no way Cloud could avoid him considering the speed he was falling. There was Sephiroth above him, and mako below. Unless this was another one of the General’s cruel tricks, he was going to meet Gaia head on. 

It was a long delayed meeting, honestly speaking. If Cloud did get the chance to say something to her the first thing he’d tell her was what a shit idea she had come up with.

Inches from the mako’s surface, Cloud’s descent stopped, his toes just dipping into the bright, neon liquid. Looking up, he realised Sephiroth had just caught the edge of his collar with Masamune, his eyes hidden under the shadow of his lashes. 

“What did you want to tell me?” He demanded, his usually smooth voice completely devoid of feeling. It hurt Cloud to hear it like that, to think of the things they had done to make him completely apathetic. Sephiroth had been controlled for so long and it was only when he had gotten a taste of freedom that he had been forced to shackle his own wrists again. Cloud had failed him terribly and in more ways than one. Maybe, if Sephiroth had fallen in love with someone that could actually protect him, he might have been able to live freely. Instead, Sephiroth had chosen to stay by Cloud’s side, ignoring how the blonde trashed his feelings and gave him the cold shoulder.

Unflinchingly, Cloud took a hold of the General’s silver-white blade with his hands, uncaring of how deeply it cut into his fingers and palms. He didn’t feel the pain in his hands or stomach, he only felt regret- for himself and Sephiroth. Barret had said Cloud deserved to be treated right, and that was true. But so did lonely, foolish Sephiroth who clung to the first bit of kindness he had tasted.

“I-” Cloud paused, Tifa’s face flickering to life in his mind. She had been the one to suddenly ask Cloud whether he loved Sephiroth or not. The question had initially caught him so off-guard, he had just chosen to ignore it. Him? Love? Love someone he had only known for a few months? It sounded insane. And then Barret had to go talking about Myrna- about wanting to keep people close. And now, now he was up to his knees in mako, the person he was so conflicted over, lowering him without a second thought. Cloud knew his feelings now, though that didn’t make them any easier to vocalise. “I love you, dammit.”

Chapter Text

Cloud blinked open his eyes slowly, golden light filling his vision no matter how he angled himself. And then there was the pain- sharp and stinging like he was covered in a thousand cuts… It honestly wasn’t too far from the truth. 

Then there was the sound of cheery laughter, Barret’s loud voice nearby although it hurt to see where. When Cloud finally forced  his eyes open, he realised he was surrounded by his friends: Cid was sitting on the balcony, smoking like a chimney while Yuffie and Marlene strung ribbons of flowers through Vincent’s overgrown hair. 

Cloud blinked. Vincent’s… hair ? A large majority of what had been the man’s hair had turned to feathers, but now there were individual strands, dark and inky. He didn’t get a chance to process the information as Barret pushed the door open with his foot, his well-muscled arms cradling a myriad of snacks and pastries. Tifa followed closely behind, whipped mochas and creamy affogatos lined up neatly on her platter. 

“Cloud! You woke up!” Aerith exclaimed, wrapping her bony arms around his neck. Cloud flinched away only to feel something pull on his arm. There was a sharp needle embedded in his skin, an ominous red tube connecting to a bag full of who knew what. “How’re you feeling? Oh! Wait, I hope my hug didn’t hurt you, did it? I just got so excited-”

“Cloud?” Nanaki asked, hopping up onto the bed, almost directly into his lap. It was the most excited the blonde had seen him and as if to cement that thought, he rubbed his head against Cloud’s leg happily. “I’m glad to see you awake.”

“We’re all glad to see him up, isn’t that right?” Barret practically shouted, and with his announcement all eyes turned to him, hopeful and bright. Cloud suddenly felt like ducking his head down, but instead he simply looked down at his hands, more confused than he knew how to say.

“Look, Cloud,” Tifa said, setting down a drink on the table next to him. She did a little spin, grinning. “My legs!” 

“The mutations…?” Cloud whispered, his voice soft from disuse. He blinked, suddenly looking back to Vincent. With a tentative hand, he put his hand to his own ears to find nothing but soft, blonde spikes. “They're gone?”

“While you all went to deal with Sephiroth, Reeve and I combined our forces…” Aerith began, gripping her hands together tightly before furrowing her eyebrows together. As if in mockery of the man, she placed a hand on her chin. “It  all started with the bouquet of yellow lilies I brought for Tifa earlier on in the week!”

“It turns out those little flowers have the ability to reverse the animalistic mutation of our cells!” Tifa exclaimed, grabbing a hold of the blonde’s hand with visible excitement.

“But… how?” Cloud muttered, confused. 

“I believe Reeve mentioned that the experimentation you, Vincent, and Tifa received didn’t just consist of an injection of animal cells… They were also combined with J-cells-” Nanaki paused as Cid squawked in his chair. 

“Those goddamn alien cells, I told ya about!” Cid interrupted, shaking his head.

“- Yes, well, these J-cells denature in the presence of the yellow lilies. Reeve explained it further, but I’m not sure why that is the case. Obviously, this wasn’t potent enough just being airborne so Reeve made a concentrated panacea of the flowers and Sephiroth’s blood.”

Sephiroth? That was right, after getting slaughtered half to death they had both fallen into the stagnant mako at the bottom of the reactor. If it hadn’t been for Vincent fluttering in at the last second, they would have both ended up as fish food. Cloud looked between his friends' faces and belatedly realised the General wasn’t present. Both he and Reeve were missing.

“Where is he?” Cloud asked, suddenly worried. Everyone had been on the road to recovery last he checked. After his run in with Cloud and his friends, Sephiroth should have been too. “Was he okay?”

“Reeve and Sephiroth went back to Shinra. Said they had a few loose ends to tie up…” Barret explained, plopping down on the edge of the bed. Nanaki shifted to allow him space, and rested his paws on his lap. “Think we’ll all be happy with a new president.”

“I don’t know if I trust Reeve like that!” Yuffie complained, tossing her legs out and nearly kicking Vincent. “I mean, he was ex-Shinra, how do we know he won’t suck too?”

“His only problem is talkin’ too much. Better than hirin’ somebody off the old boy network again.” Cid laughed, waving his cigarette around before Vincent plucked it from his hand and stamped out the embers. Both men glared at one another, neither willing to yield. It was only when Marlene jumped onto Vincent’s neck that Cid looked away, harrumphing about something.

“So I guess we're back to normal then?” Cloud murmured, something close to regret bleeding through his voice. Aerith looked up at him, her head tilting.“I mean like, our enhancements are gone?”

“We'll go back to the way things were, Cloud.” Tifa replied softly, like she realised. “With Shinra getting new leadership, there won't really be a purpose for us, right?”

She was right. Cloud couldn't admit it out loud, but that was correct. With Sephiroth returned, Rufus dethroned and- had Reeve taken care of the science department? That was the final thing, then they really would be done. They would have wiped their hands of Shinra, which was a good thing.

So why did Cloud feel so empty all of a sudden?

“What about Hojo?” Cloud finally asked, finding his words. “...And Hollander?”

Vincent turned at that, gently prying Marlene's sticky fingers from his neck.

“The ‘justice’ system has its hands full with enough miscreants. We should kill him.”

Denzel dropped his cookie in his hot chocolate hearing that statement, his eyes wide. Cloud wondered what the boy had made of the entire conversation up to this point.

“What he means is uh, you know-” Barret paused, his muttering nearing incomprehensible as he tried further to mask the ex-Turk’s previous words. “ Shit .”

“We're just sending him back to the life stream!” Yuffie chirped, slapping Vincent on the shoulder as she passed. It wasn't a friendly pat. “We'll be right back isn't that right, Cloud?”

“Who’s going?” He asked, flipping the covers off of his legs and staggering to his feet. Like good friends, Nanaki and Tifa helped grab each of his arms as he tried to stabilize himself. With a quick, clean motion he pulled the IV from his arm and flexed his aching arm.

He didn't feel very strong any more, but that wouldn’t stop him from playing hero.

Seventh Heaven was nearly silent when Sephiroth pressed open the door. Flying into Rufus’s private penthouse and terrifying both him and Tseng had been the more pleasant part of his morning. In accordance with Rufus’s philosophy, Sephiroth had embodied unbeatable strength while Reeve had  made sure to clearly speak on what was going to happen. First, Rufus would release a public statement regarding his early retirement, that would be followed by his announcement of who was to succeed him, and finally, the reinstallment of Angeal as the new General of Shinra. 

Despite his previous reservations with the previous president, Sephiroth actually looked forward to working alongside Reeve. While not the most organised individual, he was bright, innovative, and held all the makings of a good leader. At least, he seemed to have good intentions towards the people of Midgar. That was more than he could say about either of the previous two presidents. 

Barely five steps in, Marlene- Barret’s adopted daughter- grabbed ahold of his hand, her dark eyes wide and glittering with expectation. Sephiroth knew such a look when he saw it. She wanted something from him.

“Do you want to have a tea party with me? Everybody else left and it won’t be fun with just two people!” She said, her tiny hand only large enough to hold two of his fingers at once. 

“Where did they go?” Sephiroth asked, though it was specifically Cloud he was concerned about. At least that was what he told himself. He wasn’t trained to interact with children so he wasn’t sure how to respond to the girl’s other request. Marlene wouldn’t be too upset about being dismissed, would she?

“They all went to take care of Professor Hojo.” Aerith said, giving Reeve a smile as he entered in after Sephiroth. She had ribbons and flowers strewn through her hair,like she had been about to celebrate something. Shinra was taken down, new leadership was being enlisted- there was a lot to celebrate. There was a lot to reflect on as well. It hadn’t been an easy, or good path for everyone. “Cloud is so stubborn he insisted on going even though he literally woke up at noon today! You know how he is!”

“But he’s no longer enhanced?” Sephiroth murmured, looking down and clenching his free hand. While he had grown accustomed to a majority of Cloud’s friends he didn’t like their carefree nature. Someone should have stopped Cloud from going- he had been severely injured-

“Can we talk about all of this over some tea?” Marlene asked, grabbing the side of Reeve’s slacks with her other hand as he attempted to walk by. “I think it can help everyone involved.”

She gave Sephiroth a very pointed look that he knew she had learned from Tifa Lockhart. 

“I appreciate the invitation-” Reeve tried and Marlene smiled up at him happily, pulling out a crushed, white flower from her pocket. 

“I appreciate you coming! Here, you have to wear flowers as an attendee, okay?” Despite Sephiroth not expressing his approval, she pulled both men towards a small, decorated table. A charming teapot sat in the centre with a rabbit motif gleaming on the porcelain. Matching cups sat at each setting alongside a myriad of different sweets, sandwiches, and hors d'oeuvres. Aerith plopped down, apparently not going to do anything to stop the child’s antics. “Can I put the flower in your hair?”

Sephiroth blinked, taking a moment to realise she was addressing him . Both Reeve and Aerith had turned owlish eyes toward him then, like they were anticipating his response more than Marlene was. Truth be told, there wasn’t any reason Sephiroth had to accept the child’s whims. He was going to leave soon, any extra kindness or rudeness would likely be forgotten. After all, he couldn’t stay here any longer. 

Not after injuring Cloud so severely. 

“My hair may be slightly tangled. I hope that doesn’t make things difficult for you.”

Once Sephiroth had sat down, he bowed his head allowing her to twist the flower into his hair. When he looked back up, Reeve had put a few biscuits on his plate and Aerith had filled his cup. Happily, Marlene plopped down into the chair beside him reaching for her distinctly plastic tea-cup. 

“ So ,” Aerith murmured, her usually smiling mouth carefully hidden behind a teacup. It didn’t matter. Sephiroth could still see her bright eyes clearly creasing in a way that most would define as happiness. Some people had an easy time expressing and feeling their emotions. “I’m guessing Zack’s advice back in Costa del Sol helped you guys reach an understanding?”

“It did.” Sephiroth murmured, taking a bite of the ginger orange biscuit. They were tasty- some of Tifa’s finest works, but they didn’t at all compare to the scones Sephiroth had eaten before. There was always the possibility it hadn’t been the food at all that had tasted so good, but the company- Cloud’s company that he had been able to share in that moment. “Some things aren’t meant to be pursued.”  

For being the strongest SOLDIER Shinra had to show, Sephiroth felt foolish- foolish and weak. He could barely recall his time under Shinra’s control, but he clearly remembered waking and seeing Cloud covered in bandages up to his neck, his breaths stilted and few like they were soon to run out. 

“I don’t mean to butt in since I don’t know what exactly was said in Costa del Sol,” Reeve began, leaning an elbow on the table. “But before you were freed from your mind control, Cloud said he loved you.”

Sephiroth choked, any semblance of dignity finally gone. 

“He said that?” Marlene asked, leaning forward herself. She put her teacup down with considerable force and put a tiny hand to her mouth. “He’s never even said that to me! Or Tifa!”

Aerith finally set her cup down, looking at him with a slight furrow of her curved brows. She was looking at him with pity. Sephiroth would recognize it anywhere. 

“He doesn’t blame you for that, you know?” She said, reaching her hand towards his. Sephiroth quickly flinched away after clearing his throat, his eyes cast downward. “Cloud isn’t like that.”

“That is a problem of his.” Sephiroth said, determinedly staring towards his boots. There was no reason he should stay any longer. There wasn’t even a reason for this conversation. He had come back to Seventh Heaven with Reeve to collect his things and be on his way. “Cloud has a hard time saying no to those he finds in need. That is dangerous in and of itself.”

He stood up then, ready to leave until a hard hand gripped his shoulder, forcing him to remain even if for just a second more. 

“So you’re just going to leave us then? Without even saying goodbye to him?” Genesis glared hard at his profile, his lips pursed. Sephiroth didn’t want him to see the devastation in his eyes; he knew if anyone could read his concealed emotions, it would be the red-head. “I went down that path and let me tell you-”

“I didn’t ask for your advice.” Sephiroth interrupted coldly. He pulled away from the shorter man’s grip and took a step towards the new president of Shinra, hesitant. “I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. Tell Cloud the same.”

  “Tell me what?” Cloud said, throwing open the entry door to Seventh Heaven. He was still up to his neck in bandages- the white stark against his healthy, flushed skin. Even his eyes looked bright, the blue shimmering like Sephiroth had never seen it before. It was the absence of mako, he realised. That was Cloud’s true eye colour. 

“He said he’s leaving…?” Marlene said, looking towards Cloud’s face for some sort of explanation. Sephiroth envied her. He couldn’t look upon the blonde’s face for too long. If he did, he was afraid he would never be able to leave Cloud’s side. 

“Leaving? Like on vacation?” Zack asked, arriving behind him along with a cluster of his other friends. Sephiroth swallowed. He hadn’t wanted his departure to garner an audience. “I thought you hated those!”

Sephiroth felt the weight of too many eyes on him. It couldn’t have been more unlike his previous experiences in public speaking- those had been impersonal in front of crowds of thousands. This was just a dozen or some people, but the weight of each of their gazes couldn’t have been heavier. It made him sick to his stomach for reasons he didn’t want to admit. 

Speaking truthfully, living with Cloud’s friends for the past few months had left an effect on him. He had a difficult time trusting others, and he was reluctant to create any sort of relationships- platonic or romantic… But just as Cloud was kind, the company he kept also proved themselves to be annoyingly good hearted. It was hard to remain cold and distant when people were consistently trying to pursue your friendship. Even Vincent Valentine, in all his aloofness, had proved trustworthy and reliable; his ruthlessness actually brought some semblance of familiarity to Sephiroth.

“I’ve hurt you Cloud-” Sephiroth said, biting his lip as he struggled to allow the words to come out. He kept his eyes averted, shame like a fetter around his neck drawing him downwards. Sephiroth had intended to say more, but soft fingers drew around his wrist, pulling him forward despite his resistance. His words left him then as fleeting as his hopes. 

“Let's talk outside.” Cloud said, his voice low and comforting in a way Sephiroth shouldn’t allow himself to pay attention to any longer. Cloud’s fingers couldn’t even fully wrap around his wrist, but he still clung to the contact, revelling in it for the short time he was allowed. “Give us a second, guys.”

No one spoke as the two shuffled outside awkwardly, he was sure they each had their own painful judgements of his shortcomings- it was what he deserved after all. Judgement, persecution, isolation from all the normal, kind people that dared to get pulled into his chaotic world. 

The sun was warm as Cloud pulled him further away from Seventh Heaven’s entrance, rows of bright lilies mingling with the cold breeze. They were beautiful and golden, just like the man before him. Just as they had suffered through the harsh winter, so too did Cloud finally overcome Shinra. It was time he was freed of his ailments and burdens, and returned to the life he desired, to the one he deserved. Spring was on its way, the last chill of winter should be on its way out.

“Sephiroth!” Cloud exclaimed, closing the distance between them and placing his hands on his face. Without any mercy, he tilted his face upwards forcing them to make eye contact. Painful, direct eye contact that rekindled every flaming emotion he had held in his heart regarding the blonde. It was nothing like a spark- it was like an inferno of repressed sentiment and it seemed to gleam back at him in the blue of Cloud’s eyes. Sephiroth didn’t move away when the blonde pushed closer, he froze unable to look anywhere but those sad eyes of his. “Why- why’re you leaving?”

They lingered there for a moment, Cloud’s words spoken just above his lips, his breath smelling distinctly of caramel. And then Cloud pushed forward, their lips barely touching before Sephiroth flinched backwards like he had been burned. 

“I- I may have been under the influence of Shinra but my actions were my own. I nearly killed you, Cloud.” Sephiroth whispered, his voice shaking as he finally brought his dreaded reality to words. It was the reality he had to take for them both, the better path so Cloud could finally enjoy his life once more. “I can’t be cured of my weakness to magic- there was nothing Reeve could do. If I were ever to be pit against you again I would never be able to forgive myself-”

“I’ll protect you then.” Cloud responded resolutely, taking a confident step forward. “I may be unenhanced, but we’ve got the new president of Shinra on our side as well as a few people that were crazy enough to stand up to the last one… As long as we stick together, I think we’ll have decent odds.”

“‘Decent odds’? Was this the same logic you employed near the beginning of this entire  project?” Sephiroth took an offended step forward, remembering why he had initially fallen for this tumultuous, stubborn man. It made his heart hurt even more, just recalling those far off times. “The fact still stands. I did hurt you, Cloud. That isn’t something that you can just ignore, or overlook- or even simply forgive.”  

“Why not?” Cloud closed the distance between them a second time, grabbing the collar of his shirt to force them to make eye contact without straining his legs by standing on his toes. 

“Well- it's because, I-” Sephiroth barely got the chance to stutter out an answer before Cloud gave him a lazy smile, one brow raised. 

“Are we gonna keep arguing, or are you gonna kiss me?” He asked, tilting his head to the side, it was apparently a mannerism left over from his previous wolf mutations. 

“I’ve warned you properly now, Cloud. There can be no-” Before Sephiroth could finish his statement, the blonde pushed forward once again, his arms wrapping around Sephiroth’s neck to help even out their heights. 

He watched Cloud press their lips together, his lovely eyes slipping shut as their legs tangled clumsily. His lips were chapped and sweet, his embrace warm and familiar; it felt just asSephiroth had imagined it would be. It only took a moment before he let his own green eyes shut, and allowed the flood of sensations to overcome him, the feeling of Cloud in his arms empowering.

The blonde ran his fingers through Sephiroth’s hair, pulling as the kiss deepened into something more. Sephiroth hummed his approval, a low pleasurable sound that surely had his face flaming.

And then Cloud remembered he had to breathe and pulled away, gasping for breath and red up to his ears. He coughed, suddenly the one unable to make eye contact even though he could feel Sephiroth’s gaze burning into him.

“I really hope my friends weren’t watching through that side window…” Cloud murmured awkwardly. All of his confidence had been spent trying to get Sephiroth to understand. 

“When’s the wedding?!” Aerith cheered, suddenly dashing out of Seventh Heaven. It was like a dam had been broken as everyone else trickled out one by one, grinning and laughing. Despite looking mostly unphased by the attention, Cloud was able to pick out a stark red colour peeking through his silver strands of hair. Sephiroth was definitely embarrassed too, he just hid it better.

That didn’t stop Cloud from leaning into the taller man, laughter bubbling out of his own mouth despite everything. Shinra was gone and Sephiroth was back. Life hadn’t been easy up to this point and it probably wouldn’t get too much easier… But they were together. And that was the only thing that mattered.