Chapter Text
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Cloud knew sign language from an early age, learning with his mom because his speech was delayed due to neurodivergence (ND). He slips into it from time to time in front of his boyfriends, but is embarrassed about it because he'd get teased in the village.
Genesis is the first to realize it's sign language, and rallies everyone to learn it.
They all LOVE Sign, because most of them are ND (Genesis, Sephiroth, Zack, and Cloud), and one of them just loves his boys (A).
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Cloud is really embarrassed and mortified at first, but Gen sits him down and they have a heart to heart.
"Beloved, we do a version of this already on the battlefield, it's no trouble. I'm just delighted we finally know when you're saying something. I love hearing from you, in any language. I love this part of you so much. I think it will even help us as a group; especially Sephiroth, probably Zack too. Aww, cherished chocobo, don't cry, you're perfect the way you are."
"It's not weak. You're not a failure. You're multi-lingual! You are amazing, my sweet baby bird!"
"Have you seen the deaf version of Loveless? I'll go put it on right now!" And suddenly Cloud can't argue at all, or even roll his eyes about Loveless, he just feels so overwhelming loved. Genesis holds his sniffling chocobo super tightly, sometimes kissing his nose, making quiet commentary about the movie until the sniffles turn into chuckles.
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(((Gen uses "not wanting to overwhelm Cloud" as an excuse for not inviting the others over, and therefore as an excuse to invite them over for an additional viewing later so he can get moAR LOVELESS. Everyone else is ok with it because Genesis sneakily told them that this would really help Cloud. For the third viewing, he guilt trips Angeal, Sephiroth, and Zack by saying it's Cloud's new favorite movie because it makes him feel special, and then turning around and guilt tripping Cloud by saying it would help Sephiroth, and Genesis really loves holding Cloud like they do every time with this movie.)))
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Cloud grows in confidence and eventually makes any group he's in charge of learn the field signs super well, plus some extras, and his teams get assigned better missions because they're better at communicating, especially when stealth is needed. They're also always looking at each other, and pick up on bad things quicker because of it.
Random trooper Fred notices random trooper Allen being affected by a poison gas because he was checking in with Allen to make sure he wasn't saying anything, for example.
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Sephiroth is petty and subtly signs insults about board members to Genesis, Angeal, and Lazard (because of course Lazard knows sign).