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Chapter Text

8/10 - World Lion Day/ Wrong Reality 

Cloud had stopped to refuel his bike after his last delivery and stifled a yawn. He was ready to be home and was close enough that had his bike not been running on fumes, he wouldn’t have even stopped. In twenty minutes he’d be taking a shower and flopping into bed beside his nearly feral boyfriend and nothing sounded better than that. 

It was luck that he was in a position to hear his phone chime, and possibly more luck that he actually pulled it out to check the message, assuming it was Squall checking in. Instead he got an alert from his security system saying that one of his windows was being messed with. 

He lived on the second floor of his apartment building, and most of his windows led out to the fire escape and were rarely opened. He’d had to silence the alarm in recent months to not startle his cat but it was still alerting him to the activity. 

Cloud flipped over to his camera feed and watched as a man was sliding the window up, a panel of glass broken. The guy wore only a cap to hide his face but given his inconspicuously dark clothes and skinny build, Cloud genuinely had no clue who this guy was. Pressing a button, he spoke through his alarm system, watching the burglar jump when it clicked on. 

“Hey asshole, this your first time breaking and entering? That was some shit work. Get out of my apartment before the cat gets you.” 

He spoke loud and clear, making sure there was no way he could possibly be misunderstood. The thief on the other hand just flipped up both his middle fingers, waving them in all directions since he didn’t know the location of the cameras. “Fuck you! Nothing you can do about it!” 

“I can call the police,” Cloud commented easily enough. Hell, Vincent and Cid lived two floors above him, one of them might have been home. He could call them too but he didn’t want them in the cross hairs of this odd mess. 

“Who cares! I’ll be long gone before they show up!” He was already looking around, stupidly looking at the TV as if he could get it off the wall but instead started picking up Cloud's game console and controllers. 

“Yeah, here’s the problem with that. I don’t think you will,” Cloud mused, putting the gas cap back on his bike as he finished fueling up. “I can only give you one warning, man. One warning and one opportunity to get the fuck out of my apartment while you still can.” 

The thief just laughed, pulling out a plastic bag from his pocket to start storing his stolen goods. “Aw, a real saint, aren’tcha. Fuck you. I’ll do what I want and I’ll be long gone before you can do anything about it.” 

Cloud just hummed, likely not as concerned as most people would be after someone broke into their home but this guy wasn’t smart enough to make that kind of leap. “Alright. This is being recorded, you know? I’m telling you my apartment is dangerous and you’re not listening. This liability is officially your own fault.” 

“Oh, I’m real scared now!” The thief just laughed and started pulling out the drawers in his desk looking for whatever valuables might be there. 

“Alright, I’m gonna go ahead and call the police then. I’m about fifteen or twenty minutes away, so think about that while you’re trapped in there with my cat.” 

“Fuck your cat,” The thief said with a cocky wave. “I’ll throw the damn cat out the window!” 

“Yeah, that sure would be interesting if you succeed,” Cloud said. “Hey kitty kitty, don’t kill the idiot.” 

There was only so much he could prevent without being there in person and the thief was the one who broke in and ignored his warnings. The idiot was practically giggling and having a good time over being able to take what he wanted while the owner of said apartment was out but that cut off abruptly. A bone shuddering roar cut through the security’s audio before Cloud switched from the apps to make a call. 

“Nine one one, please state your emergency.” 

“Yeah, hi. My security system got triggered. Someone broke into my apartment. You’re going to need to send the police and an ambulance." 

To the woman’s credit, she continued the call professionally without pointing out how that was an odd statement. “Name and address? Are you currently home?” 

“Cloud Strife. 78 Meteor Lane. Apartment 2-3. I am not at home, but I could see this guy breaking in on my second floor apartment from the fire escape. I warned him to get out.” 

“Yes sir, I will have the police enroute,” She paused, considering his words “Is there anything dangerous in your apartment?”  

“A lion.” 

There was a longer hesitation. “Excuse me?” 

“A lion. I have a lion in my apartment. He’s closer to four hundred pounds than not and I told the guy to get out while he could but he didn’t listen.” 

“You have a lion. A whole ass wild animal in your apartment?” 

“Yes, ma’am. If you could contact Detective Barret Wallace, he’s fully aware of the situation. I have legal guardianship over the lion. He should be informed and probably sent too. Please reiterate to the police that they should not enter my apartment until I get there. I can get the lion to back off once I'm there but I can’t guarantee everyone’s safety otherwise.” 

“Barret Wallace,” She repeated and Cloud could hear the computer keys clacking while she looked him up. 

“Listen, I'm twenty minutes out. I’m heading straight home to meet the police. Make sure they don’t enter the apartment until I get there.” 

“Do you know the current state of the man who broke into your apartment?” 

“Probably alive but wishing he wasn’t,” Cloud said, hanging up a moment later and sending a mass text about the situation to the rest of his friends in the building; Vincent, Cid, Tifa, Yuffie, and Aerith. 

Cloud shoved his helmet back on and swung a leg over his bike. He was motivated to get back home now and he really had to hope Squall had learned a little self control. 

On weekdays Cloud ran deliveries all over town, and on weekends he and his friends often looked into criminal enterprises disguised as something harmless. They were whistle blowers and had assisted in shutting down many shady organizations where others couldn’t. They were a small offshoot of a larger agency by the name of Avalanche, and Barret was their contact in law enforcement. Supposedly, he’d even been a proper member of Avalanche years prior. 

It had been nearly six months since they’d busted a criminal circus. It had been breaking so many laws that its leaders and accomplices were going to be in jail for the next thirty some years. Animal cruelty and child endangerment were only two of the eighty two charges brought up against them. 

Cloud was grateful that the little twin boys had been spending most of their time lately with Aerith. She’d been fostering the two small former acrobats since the circus had been shut down but they spent a great deal of time in Cloud’s apartment too. It eased a knot in Cloud’s chest to know that the boys weren’t getting a ring side seat to this shit show. 

Squall had been another matter. A lion shifter who’d been drugged and abused into performing for that miserable circus. For a time he’d lost the ability to transform back into his human skin at all. He’d fallen into his lion’s head space and was occasionally more lion than man. He’d been getting better the longer he was free but he still had irregular episodes where his lion half took over his more cognitive thoughts. 

Fortunately, Squall had taken a liking to Cloud right away and saw Cloud as his mate. The more human days he had, the more he courted Cloud like a proper boyfriend would but it was still a mixed bag. Cloud loved his silly lion, but he was under no illusions in mistaking him for tame. Squall was only as tame as he wanted to be, and someone had broken into his territory. 

It had been thanks to Barret, and several other higher ranking members of avalanche that Squall was even able to stay with Cloud. They used phrases like rehabilitation and recovery therapy to get the judge to sign off on his custody of a wild lion. Squall was a shifter, not an animal. They couldn’t just place him in a zoo or animal sanctuary. It might mend his lion half, but not his human half. 

Cloud had not had a single violation when it came to keeping Squall in his apartment. His lion had been both stable and healing in the safe environment but this break in might have caused something of a relapse. 

At least the guy wasn’t dressed as a clown. There would have been no saving him then. 

When Cloud pulled into the garage next to his building he could already see the ambulance waiting and several police cars. He waved when he saw Barret in a group of officers and went to park while the police started working out their unnecessary game plan. Cloud just needed to get inside and Squall would shift his focus to him and forget about his plaything. Probably. 

By the time he’d taken the elevator up to his floor, Barret was there waiting for him with six police officers all wearing body armor and what seemed to be three members of animal control who were likely way under prepared despite their enchanted tools. 

“Come fix this mess, blondie,” Barret said when Cloud started walking towards him. “That fool that broke into your house is still breathing but there is a fair amount of blood.” 

“You’ve been inside?” 

“Nah,” Barret shook his head and gestured towards the door. Cid was leaning against his apartment door with his arms crossed. “Cid came down to make sure no one got any stupid ideas. The information on the inside came from Vincent and Nanaki. They’re on the fire escape and as long as they don’t try to crawl through the window, Squall seems fine with them there." 

“Figured Big Cat knows our scents and all,” Cid said. “Thought he might be cooler having some of us at the exits.” 

“Likely,” Cloud agreed, pulling out his keys and pushing Cid out of the way. 

“Hey now,” one of the cops frowned. “What’s the plan here?” 

Cloud glanced over his shoulder, “I’m going to put my lion into the bedroom and let you guys pick up the idiot off the floor.” 

“Solid plan,” Cid muttered. 

One of the men from animal control didn’t seem to understand how casual Cloud was being. “It’s a wild animal.”

“Yeah, and he knows me. I’m part of the pride, he’s not going to hurt me.” Squall was his boyfriend after all, the overprotective cat probably wouldn’t want him around the thief anyway. 

Turning the key, he opened the door slowly so Squall wouldn’t be startled, but he was fairly certain Squall would have been able to hear him in the corridor anyway. 

“Hey Squall, I'm home,” He greeted, leaving the door open wide behind him. His apartment really had been ransacked but at least the thief hadn’t gotten away with anything. The sofa was several feet away from where it should have been and it was tipped over. Nearly all of the wooden chairs to his kitchen table had been knocked over and one of them laid in pieces. The rug would need to be replaced if the red stain was anything to go by, and there was Squall, draped over the intruder with his teeth dug into his shoulder. 

Squall leaned back to look at him, jaws still wrapped around the man and forcing him to bend back painfully. 

“Drop him. You have no idea where he’s been. Don’t put things like that in your mouth.” 

Squall stared, hesitation in his body language. 

“Let him go so he can leave,” Cloud repeated, stepping forward. He kept his movements slow but Squall was intelligent no matter which half of him was in charge. With a hand on Squall’s head, Cloud stroked his fingers through his mane. “Let him go now.” 

Squall finally dropped the man who whimpered, and had evidently learned the hard way to play dead. The more he kept attempting to struggle, the more Squall would see him as a play thing to torment. Cloud had no sympathy for him. 

Only when Cloud backed away a few steps and held his hands out did Squall pop up to his feet, one foot stepping on the man as he did so. The fur on his face was covered in blood that made Cloud’s heart stutter but he knew it wasn’t Squall’s blood. A small mercy that eased his nerves but didn’t make his day any easier.

He could hear the gasps from the onlookers peeking through the door as Squall prowled towards him a bloody mess. He’d grown since his initial rescue, having put on weight again with a more frequent diet. A lion was always a predator but a healthy lion out hunted a wounded one. Cloud did what he could to not move when Squall butted his head against his stomach. 

It would have been all too easy for Squall to knock his feet right out from under him but he was careful with his strength, especially when it came to Cloud. 

“Hey,” Cloud said, fingers curling around Squall’s ears the same way he might have with a house cat. The gentle caress was a friendly gesture and Cloud was allowed to touch. His greeting was answered with the rumble in Squall’s throat and sharp teeth poking lightly against his hip. 

“Move back.” The younger of the animal control agents was stepping in, sweat already on his brow and a dart gun in his hand. “I don’t care what you claim, he’s aggressive." 

Squall whipped around immediately, eyes zeroed in on the weapon. He roared loud enough that the items on nearby shelves rattled by the force of it. The hair on his back was raised and he was pushing Cloud behind him. 

“Go fuck yourself,” Cloud said, holding up his middle finger for extra emphasis. “He’s not being aggressive. He’s saying hello you dumbass. He’s not the usual animal you’re used to catching.” 

“He’s also protected by law and in recovery from a dangerous situation so why would your fool ass point a weapon at him!” Barret wasn’t yelling but only barely. He’d stomped into the apartment and put himself in front of the animal control agent to block Cloud and Squall.

“He’s a lion!” 

“And!? He lives here!” Barret was yelling now. 

“Hey, hey,” Cloud muttered, trying to soothe Squall’s raised hair into laying flat. “It’s fine. We’re fine.” Squall made tight circles around Cloud, pushing him further and further away from the intruders with more nips to his legs. 

The rest of the cops that were lingering in the doorway seemed unsure what to do, but the animal control agent hadn’t given up yet. “The lion is biting him!” 

“Be silent if you can’t be smart,” Vincent's voice carried through the broken window from his seat on the fire escape. “If you do not understand lion behavior then it’s better to bow down to someone who does.” 

“If Squall was biting Cloud, you would know,” Nanaki added from where he sat beside Vincent. To say every law enforcer present had to pick their jaws off the ground was an understatement, but then no one expected Nanaki to be able to speak. “He’s upset you are in his territory and angry you pointed a weapon at him and his mate.” 

“Besides, cats do that shit, don’t they?” Cid said. He’d been subtly sliding into Cloud's apartment, his back against the wall to be closer to Cloud. “It’s affection.” 

“It can be,” Vincent said. “It can be playful. It can also be a sign he is frustrated.” 

Nanaki bobbed his head into a nod, “For everyone’s safety I suggest you stop worrying about Squall and focus more on the actual intruder who may run the risk of bleeding out on the floor if you don’t get him help soon.” 

“Right,” Cloud sighed. “I’m exhausted, let’s get this shit show taken care of. C’mon Squall, come with me,” He started moving backwards towards their bedroom. Squall moved with him but he was hyper aware of everything happening around him. His rumbles were unhappy but he wasn't letting anyone near Cloud. 

When he got to his bedroom doorway, Cloud waved for the others to come in instead of taking up space in the hallway. 

“He really listens to you,” One of the cops muttered, but the others finally went to the thief’s side to check on him before calling the EMT’s to come inside. Their faces were grim and Cloud didn’t miss the looks they were shooting his lion but Squall wasn’t the fucking burglar so they had better keep their mouths shut. 

“Told you Blondie would have it covered,” Barret said, in a tone that said he’d also noticed. Barret might not have been as biased towards Squall as Cloud was but he knew his history and would let the recovering lion protect his home. He turned to look at Cloud anyway. “Gonna need your security footage.” 

“Anything you need,” Cloud said. “I warned him my apartment was dangerous and he should leave.” 

“Even better,” Barret snorted. “Your boy okay?” 

Cloud continued petting Squall, but he didn’t see any immediate injuries on him. “I think so, but I'll get a better look in a few minutes.” 

Squall’s lips pulled back into a snarl that showed off his teeth as more and more people attempted to shove their way into the apartment, a few trying to peer into their bedroom. Whether they were arrogant about their job or just wanted to see the lion for themselves didn’t matter if they made things worse. There were too many cops in the small space, though the EMT’s filing in were probably necessary. 

“C’mon Squall. In here,” Cloud said, moving further back into his bedroom. “Cid, shut the door would you? He’s just going to get more pissed off as people come and go. I’ll stay in here with him.” 

“Got it,” Cid said, and he seemed to enjoy being largely unaffected by the sight of the lion, unlike the policemen. Any other time and Cloud wouldn’t have wanted that many people left unsupervised in his apartment either but Cid, Barret, and Vincent were all keeping watch so he needed to let them help him and focus on Squall for now.

Once the door clicked shut. Cloud heaved a tired sigh. The shower and good night’s rest he’d wanted half an hour ago likely wasn’t going to happen any time soon. He kicked off his shoes and pulled off a layer of clothes so he was only in jeans and a t-shirt before rounding on the lion that had stayed pressed against his legs the entire time. 

“Alright Squall, you did a good job today. How are you doing?” 

It was fairly unexpected when Squall stood up on two feet, wearing only sweatpants that Cloud had gotten for him. Cloud hadn’t thought he’d shift back into his human form while there were so many people just a door away from them but here they were chest to chest. His face and hands were still bloody and Cloud grabbed a dirty t-shirt and the bottle of water from the nightstand to clean him up. Stepping out of the room to get a towel from the bathroom probably wasn’t a good idea with how antsy his lion was.  

“Just a second and you’ll be clean,” Cloud muttered. “I’ll heat up leftovers once everything is quiet. You okay?” 

Squall nodded, and he licked his lips before attempting to speak. “Tired. Too many people. Too many people near you. Loud out there.” 

“Sure is.” 

“I was sleeping. I didn't hear the glass break,” Squall whispered as if it were a confession. “He was loud though, and I heard you talking to him. I forgot about the security cameras. I thought you were out there with him.” 

“You thought I was in trouble,” Cloud guessed, wiping away the last of the blood and tossing the dirty t-shirt in the direction of the hamper.

Squall nodded again and leaned closer to bury his face against Cloud’s neck. His arms were snugly around Cloud a breath later. “I might have over reacted. Sorry.” 

Cloud huffed and shuffled with Squall until they both dropped to lay across their bed. “You were startled awake and probably half asleep. You protected the apartment from an intruder and still didn’t kill him. You waited for me to get home and proved to a room full of cops that you weren't mindless. You did great.” 

There was a soft sigh against his throat and Squall nipped at his jaw once, his tongue peeked out to taste his skin. “A little mindless, but I knew what I was doing.” 

“It would have been no different if I'd been home to shoot the guy in self defense,” Cloud muttered while he dug his fingers into Squall’s scalp. It got him an appreciative noise.

Squall still struggled some days with his human thoughts versus his lion thoughts. It was a side effect of being drugged in his lion skin for so long but he improved daily. He could hold a conversation and liked most of Cloud’s friends well enough. Their entire relationship had transformed into more than just sex and Cloud cooking for him. 

In the last two months, he’d started leaving the apartment with Cloud on small errands. As long as Cloud was by his side, he didn’t have many meltdowns. The exploring was good for him but he often yearned to be back in his safe territory. All of his progress had been documented. 

“Humans are used to guns,” Squall muttered. “Teeth less so.” 

“Unforgettable,” Cloud agreed. “If word spreads about this, no one will be stupid enough to try and break into this apartment again. Hell, maybe even the whole building will be safe.” 

Squall threw a leg over Cloud’s hip and drew him closer. It was a possessive gesture, but Cloud was satisfied being in a harem of one. His lion had stated many times that he didn’t want anyone else. 

“As long as you're safe,” Squall muttered. He seemed like he was becoming more alert the more they talked. “What will happen now?” 

“They’ll probably take the idiot to the hospital and then arrest him. He didn’t get away with anything but he still broke in,” Cloud explained. “Likely won’t serve much, if any time for it but he’s going to have those injuries to remember this day by. Hopefully he won’t be so stupid again.” 

Squall nosed at him, “What will happen to me?” 

“I doubt much of anything. Maybe that court appointed doctor will stop by again to check on us. This was self defense, Squall,” Cloud murmured. “It’s not like you were chasing down people on the street. You’re not dangerous.” 

“I can be.” 

Cloud turned his head enough to kiss Squall's forehead. “So can I. So can Vincent. So can Cid. Claws and teeth don’t make you special, lion.” 

Squall grunted once, inhaling Cloud’s scent which usually calmed him. “When will they get out?” 

“Soon,” Cloud promised. At least he hoped so. “They’ll take the guy out. Take some pictures. I dunno if they’ll clean up or if they expect me to do that.” Squall tsked.

“I’ll need to give Barret the security footage for the day,” Cloud continued. “But we can stay in here until they’re gone.” 

“I should chase them out,” Squall muttered through clenched teeth and then distracted himself by biting Cloud’s shoulder just hard enough that it would bruise later. Any resulting shivers it forced down Cloud’s spine was just a coincidence. 

“Yes, my fierce lion,” Cloud muttered. “But this way is better. When you’re out of sight you aren't scaring them and they’ll leave faster.” 

He grumbled in irritation, but his arms remained locked around Cloud as if afraid he’d be torn away from him at any moment. The sight of the dart gun really dug up the trauma he’d been trying to bury. 

“I have you, Squall,” Cloud promised. “You’re staying with me.” 

A slow knock at the door had Cloud jumping, but he couldn’t do anything but tilt his head back and look since Squall wasn’t letting go. “Yeah?” He called. 

Vincent opened his door only enough to come in. “Give me your phone and I'll send Barret the footage he needs. You won’t need to drag yourself back out there.” 

“Oh. That suits me fine,” Cloud said, reaching into the pocket of his jeans and tossing his phone to Vincent. He didn’t ask how Vincent knew his passwords, those answers would only give him a headache. 

“The EMT’s have left with your thief. They suspect broken ribs and a possible collapsed lung but the hospital is close by. He’ll be fine. Probably,” Vincent added. 

Cloud didn't actually care but it was better the idiot lived. Better for them at least. Personally he thought it spoke of Squall’s restraint but people would have something to say about it. They were unprepared for Cloud’s response. “And the rest?” 

“The police are still milling around, taking pictures of the window and such. Your security feed will help. I’m sure they’ll want a statement from you and squall at some point but I don't know if any of them other than Barret would be brave enough to try.” Vincent looked amused by the thought. “Also, Aerith texted. She’s bringing the twins over.” 

“What? Why now?” Cloud asked and even Squall’s jaw finally loosened off his shoulder to look up at Vincent in concern. 

Vincent offered a one sided shrug, “She knows the day has been irritating and Squall likes knowing where the twins are when he’s annoyed. They might as well nap with the two of you. We’ll handle the police. You’re going to need to get rid of the rug.” 

“Yeah, I saw that coming,” Cloud muttered but sighed. The little acrobats were the sweetest kids and Squall did adore them. They were the youngest members of his pride and he’d been taking their care seriously the last few months. “A nap sounds good honestly.”

“I’ll let you know if we need anything else,” Vincent said. “I’ll knock first.” 

Cloud offered a tired smile. “Thanks Vincent.”

Vincent nodded, looking like he understood everything Cloud wasn’t saying. He slipped out of the room and had barely shut the door behind him before he opened it again and two young boys sprinted in. They’d been far too young to be performing in the circus and were getting to be normal little boys these days. 

Squall sat up, arms out to catch both boys as they threw themselves at him. 

“Squall!” Sora hugged him tight. 

“You’re okay!” Roxas clung. “We saw all the police cars!” 

“Aerith said there was a bad guy and you caught him!” 

“That’s so cool!” 

Cloud’s shoulders shook with laughter while Squall snuggled the little boys. Some of the tension went out of his posture and that’s when Cloud knew for sure why Aerith sent them in. It had been a long day but the children could calm Squall down. “Everything’s okay now. Do you think you can help Squall rest?” 

“We’re sleeping?” Roxas asked, sitting up and leaning back against Cloud. “It’s not even dinner time.” 

“It’s just to rest after all the noisy things happened,” Squall muttered. He was already positioning the boys so they would be in the middle of him and Cloud and Cloud noticed the way Squall put himself closest to the door. 

“Want me to lock it?” Cloud asked quietly, but Squall shook his head. 

“How come a bad man tried to break in?” Sora asked, though he seemed fine with the impromptu rest. 

Cloud shrugged and rested his head against his pillow, Squall had their ankles overlapping. “To steal things. Some people are just like that. He didn’t expect a lion.” 

“Well now he knows better,” Roxas said as if that were the easiest thing in the world.

“Yes,” Squall chuckled, pleased with how trusting the twins could be despite their circus trauma. He relaxed a little at a time, and the twins knew their job well. As far as they were aware, hugs made their lion feel better and that was its own kind of magic. 

The truth wasn’t so far off. A lion needed a pride and Squall was building his slowly but surely. This mess with the thief had been inconvenient, but it wouldn’t change anything for them, not really. Squall was getting better, and Cloud was there to make sure nothing got in his way.

Chapter Text

8/11 - Day 2 - Catch me if you can / Body swap 

“Oh, live music.” 

“Yes, they’re really going all out for this event.” 

“That explains the sheer amount of wine floating around. I already count seven waiters.” 

“Stop counting.” 

“Drunk socialites will be dancing in circles within the hour, gasping on their own giggles.” 

Squall glanced to the side, brow raised. “You are a socialite, you Nibel tart.” 

Cloud’s lips curved into a mirthful smirk, “And you married me.” He raised their linked hands to kiss the back of Squall’s knuckles. 

The action made Squall smile despite his own reservations. “Don’t know what I was thinking.” 

“Probably that life is complicated,” Cloud muttered, the two of them wandering deeper into the party. It was technically a charity event that was sponsoring the art gallery that would be officially opening later that month. It was a night to preview the artistry and several artists had been invited to show their work along with expensive pieces that had been brought in by wealthy donors who wanted to show off. 

If Squall had to guess, only a third of the current attendees knew anything about art. The rest were there for the booze, the dancing, or the chance to get their pictures taken by the hovering photographers that might make it into the newspaper. 

“Life is, but I love you anyway,” Squall muttered, looking at the ostentatious wedding ring he wore. His day to day ring was a simple gold band as proof that he was indeed married. He liked the simplicity of it and it didn’t get in the way while he was working. The giant diamond he wore tonight matched Cloud’s and was only pulled out on special occasions where he couldn’t get out of it. Same with the flashy emerald cuff links and tie pin. 

Cloud was in sapphires and it suited him, their nearly matching suits were only a few shades off. 

“Hey,” Cloud slid his grip up Squall’s arm to squeeze his bicep. “I love you too, and I did promise to be on my best behavior since you agreed to come and keep me company.” 

“And I thank you for that,” Squall murmured, tilting his head enough to press a kiss to Cloud’s mouth. 

He’d let his pride get in the way of this whole debacle. 

The party was filled with women dressed in satin and silk. They were covered in jewelry, lavish hair pieces and expensive furs. Most of the suits the men were wearing cost more than his monthly wage, but then again, so did his own. He’d caved to the power of Cloud’s eyes when he’d been presented with his attire for the night. 

When he’d received the invitation for this event, it was done so laughingly. He might have been a police detective but that didn’t mean he was part of the high society crowd. He’d been aware the entire spectacle had been a jab at his middle class status, but Cloud had vehemently disagreed and decided such a trivial little party was the perfect place for them to be seen together since they’d been married only four short months ago. 

“If you’re trying to distract me, it’s working.” Cloud whispered against his lips, stealing another kiss. “And you know that is saying something with all the priceless works of art around.” 

Squall’s face crumpled into a familiar fond look that he couldn’t help but wear when he looked at his husband. “I heard they have an Izunia.” 

Cloud brightened tenfold. Unlike most of the spoiled brats that gallivanted around this party like they knew a thing or two about art, Cloud actually did. “And two Fleuret’s! Supposedly they even have a painting by Terra Branford on loan! I’d love to see one of her paintings again. 

“Would you like to take a look before we find something to drink?” Squall asked. 

“You mean so you can avoid dancing with me?” 

Squall shrugged, “Well if you don’t want to see the paintings…” 

“I do,” Cloud clung to his arm and grinned, tugging him towards the adjacent gallery hall where the art was on display. There were others wandering around, giving each piece a good look before passing on but most people were eager to drink or linger towards the women singing. The night was young but dancing had already broken out in the crowd. 

This was a party first, and a charity function second. Pictures would be taken of women in pearls posing next to priceless works of art and the newspaper would print it in deference to having nothing else significant enough to print. Squall had never understood the charm of newspapers filled with pictures and articles of the wealthy indulging in their hobbies but meeting Cloud had taught him not to judge at a glance. 

Cloud pulled him through the little makeshift gallery of local artists first and he made a point of saying hello to all of them. Most were shuffling nervously around their own work as it was scrutinized in real time. Being an artist had to be terribly taxing when it came to confidence but Cloud got them smiling and talking about their art. 

Squall didn’t mind being on Cloud’s arm for interactions like this. He was in his element, elevating these young artists who were far from grand masters but Cloud made them feel as if they were. There was little doubt in Squall’s mind that Cloud would sponsor one or two of them in the coming weeks, his taste for pretty things insatiable. If artists would create, Cloud would pay them to do so for him. 

“You put stars in their eyes,” Squall muttered as they were drifting through the artwork that didn’t have nearly the amount of security around them that Squall thought they should. Given the way Cloud’s eyes shifted, he thought so too. 

“Someone needs to. Every modern advancement we have stemmed from someone being a little creative and a little unorthodox. It’s a good thing to encourage.” 

Squall sighed, a little wistful. “You see so much more than other people.” 

Cloud paused and tilted his head back just enough to look at Squall properly. “No, I see what’s in front of me. I can just put words to the feelings certain sights grant me.” 

“A talent most lack.” 

“But not you,” Cloud murmured. “Not when you proposed to me at least.” 

A flare of heat in Squall’s cheeks had him wanting to look away, but it was always difficult to take his eyes off Cloud. “Yes, and I made a perfect fool of myself doing it.” 

“You did not,” Cloud disagreed but pulled Squall over to the Terra Branford painting, her name displayed boldly beside it. It wasn’t to his taste but he could tell by Cloud’s hitched breath he truly liked it. 

It was abstract, a face cut into pieces and glued together into a monstrosity that remained beautiful. The colors clashed and fought as though they were in battle and there was glory in their stalemate. The painting demanded attention. It screamed ‘look at me’. People were definitely looking. 

He could hear the whispered comments around them and while most of them were confused, there were a few others who stared the way Cloud did, understanding something from the piece that was foreign to everyone else. 

“She’s a genius,” Cloud muttered. “Never got the recognition she deserved when alive.” 

“That’s usually how it goes with artists,” Squall said. He was still firmly in the camp of people who knew only what they liked though Cloud was changing that with the scraps of knowledge he would occasionally toss around

“Shame,” he nodded, finally managing to pull himself away to explore again. There were so many paintings, so many masterpieces and Squall could hardly fathom how collectors were allowed to have them at all. One would think the museums would covet all the work by famous artists but there was little to be done when they were owned by someone else. 

He did not envy anyone in his line of work that specialized in art theft. 

“Ah, the Izunia…” Cloud muttered, leaning his weight against Squall as he directed his attention at the painting. 

The painting was a study of the artist's pain. Not the mild melancholy that came with a dank day but done in sweeping reds that resonated in the hearts of anyone who had lost anything precious. Shadows clung to the heavy oils, the texture cracking over the canvas like a breaking heart. 

“Not to your taste?” Squall wondered. 

“It’s not that. There’s an ache to this piece that gnaws at your bones and the technique is flawless,” Cloud explained. “I think perhaps it’s just my mood. I’m looking for something more light hearted.” 

“This isn’t a shop,” Squall reminded him. “You’re not looking for anything.” 

“Yes, my love,” Cloud said, nudging Squall back a few steps so others could get a better look at the artwork. “It will be nice to have such a lovely gallery in town though. It will draw out more artists. Maybe then the universities around here will take the arts more seriously.” 

“Maybe a scholarship?” 

“There’s an idea,” Cloud tapped his fingers against Squall’s hand in thought. “An idea for later.” 

“Fair enough.” This time it was a painting that caught his eye, a pair of them. When he took a step towards them, Cloud was happy to be pulled along with him. It almost surprised him that he could identify the Fleuret's so easily but Cloud owned one himself and these were familiar despite him never having laid eyes on them before. 

They were less like paintings and more like frames holding the world in place, letting the viewer see the changing of the sun. One dawn, one dusk, light playing in a field of pastels. The flowers were bent in an invisible breeze, the petals looking like they were made of silk and not pigment. Everything was gentle and even in the painting of the setting sun there was hope, as though one was merely waiting to be bestowed a good dream. 

“I’m charmed that you’ve found yourself a favorite artist,” Cloud mused. “And to have such good taste as to admire Fleuret’s work. My compliments.” 

“No snark.” 

“It was genuine!” Cloud laughed. 

“So you say,” Squall matched his smile, but it faded into his more common neutrality when a voice lit up the exhibit space. 

“Well! Detective Leonhart! I didn’t expect you!” Genesis Rhapsodos sauntered towards them with a smirk. Squall thought he was rather over the top with his assortment of ruby jewelry and polished white and black shoes that offset his suit but what did he know about fashion anyway. 

“Didn’t you?” Squall wondered, “You did invite me.” 

Cloud’s head jerked just slightly like a bloodhound who’d caught a scent. He had been less than pleased at the obvious jab the invitation had been and it was lucky this was such a public place. Lucky for Genesis. 

“So I did,” Genesis said, honing in on Squall’s attire as the wealthy were wont to do but even someone as prestigious as the Rhapsodos heir couldn’t completely hide the way his eyes bulged at the sight of his diamond ring. His attention shifted to Cloud who stared back, unapologetically unimpressed. “And you came well in hand, I see.”

Squall hummed once, hating these little games. “Genesis Rhapsodos, my husband, Cloud.” The introduction was the very least he could do. 

“Cloud is it? Did you arrive with a surname attached to that?” 

Cloud raised a brow, “What a curious thing to ask. In my native tongue my surname is Striden , but here it translates to Strife. I am not so new to the Gardens as some think.” 

“Strife,” Genesis blinked slowly. “From the-” 

“Yes. Those Strife’s.” Cloud cut him off, and rested his cheek on Squall’s shoulder. “I understand you are quite the patron of the arts in these parts.” 

Genesis looked between them, his usual calculated cunning faltering. “That’s right. Academia is all well and good but there is more to life than sitting behind a desk.” 

Cloud’s smile grew. “I couldn’t agree more. I do so prefer proactive people who have something they are passionate about.” 

There was a moment of hesitancy in Genesis as if he were waiting for one of them to tell him this was a joke. “I suppose congratulations are in order. How long ago were you wed?” 

“Several months now.” Cloud mused and he was acting as if he won some kind of competition when Genesis frowned briefly before recovering. 

“I see. It is wonderful to have to join us.” 

“I could hardly refuse. Art is my line of work, after all.” Cloud’s smile was… so deceiving. Squall had to fight not to roll his eyes but he’d long accepted that people could never see Cloud’s intentions the way he could. 

“That’s good news. If you gentlemen will excuse me, I need a drink.” He nodded politely to them before excusing himself which was more than Squall usually got from him. 

“Alright, you arrogant wolf.” Squall muttered, voice pitched low so no one else could over hear them. “What was that?” 

“Men like Rhapsodos pride themselves on being apprised of all circulating gossip. To have someone like me in the area and he didn’t know? He’s probably furious. Someone like me got married and he didn’t so much as send a gift? I’m sure his informants will be getting an earful later.” 

“I’m surprised he could stomach you having lowered your standards to marry me.” 

“Don’t be ridiculous. He was pulling your coattails so you would pay attention to him,” Cloud mused. “Now I am quite the bad guy. Not only have I unexpectedly appeared to alter the balance of local members of high society, but I've stolen you. Some of my best work if I do say so myself.” 

Cloud was beyond smug but Squall just sighed again. “I will never understand the wealthy.” 

“My love, you have full access to my coffers, you are wealthy.” 

“Don’t threaten me,” Squall huffed, getting a laugh from Cloud as they headed for the nearest waiter to snag a glass of champagne. It was not their drink of choice, but Cloud never drank seriously at functions like these and Squall couldn’t help but see the wisdom in the choice. 

They hadn’t been there long and had probably only spent a little over an hour browsing the gallery but already they could hear the music becoming far more high spirited. The flow of a crowd who had already had one too many drinks was gaining new members by the minute. 

It was incredible that the life people coveted so much was mostly wealthy youths acting like idiots.

“Your brother is giving us quite the frown,” Squall commented though he didn’t seem to be glancing in any particular direction. 

Cloud snorted, lips tugging into a smirk. “The biggest problem with Rufus is that he likes you and he hates that he likes you.” 

“I suppose I can't find fault with a protective older brother.” 

“You absolutely could. He’s annoying,” Cloud said, looking over his shoulder and sticking his tongue out in what seemed to be a random direction but Rufus was sure to be found over there somewhere. 

Squall shrugged, “I do like your brother, just in small doses.” 

“Which is more than most,” Cloud snickered but Squall recognized his own brand of defensiveness. The younger brother was just as protective of the older and he was delighted there was no animosity between Squall and Rufus. 

They avoided the bigger crowds which meant staying away from the dancing near the bar respectfully but there were plenty of places for them to loiter and Squall was sure Cloud would want another look at the art at some point instead of looking at people he had no interest in. 

Squall could already foresee returning in a month’s time when the gallery was up and running full time with more work on display. That was very much how Cloud enjoyed spending his time, even if his eyes flickered to every door and every window. 

“Leonhart?” Squall turned, inadvertently tugging Cloud with him at the sound of his name. Two people were headed towards them which gave Squall little time to control his expression. 

“Inspector,” He greeted the woman who had called out to him. Inspector Quistis Trepe had been running his station house for three years and he personally thought she was damn good at her job. Her dress was a shiny green and her jewelry was both impressive and understated. Usually her blond hair was done up in a simple twist to keep it out of her face but tonight it was left down and fashionably curled. 

His eyes slid to the man only a few steps behind her and their arrival together was likely purely coincidental. “Almasy.” Seifer Almasy was a local reporter known for being a thorn in everyone’s side to get the story he wanted. It was occasionally fortunate that he favored the truth but the ‘truth’ could also hurt people when printed in an abrupt, careless fashion. He was good at his job, he was just an utter prick.

“Well, well, Squall Leonhart,” Seifer greeted, cut off a second later by Quistis. 

“Good to see you, Detective. I wasn’t sure if you would be attending,” She said. Squall knew why she seemed to hesitate. Genesis’ invitation hadn’t been a secret, nor had his lack of reaction to the taunting. 

Squall shrugged a single shoulder, “I was invited. Seemed rude not to.” 

Her nod was quick and assertive but Squall didn’t miss the way her lip quirked. He would have to tell her later how Genesis had already spotted him and how he left him in peace to pout. 

“What are you pretending to be, Leonhart?” Seifer asked, gesturing vaguely to Squall up and down as if floored he owned anything for the more expensive outings. 

Cloud sipped from his champagne flute. “That was rather uncalled for. Friends of yours, Squall?” He was back to clinging to Squall’s arm again, playing his part a little too well. 

Squall didn’t confirm or deny, but he did introduce them politely. “Inspector Quistis Trepe,” he began. 

“Ah, yes! I have heard a few stories,” Cloud mused. 

“And Seifer Almasy. Reporter.” 

Cloud hummed, “I know the name. Your writing is eye-catching.” 

Before either could continue, Squall barreled on with the introductions. “This is my husband, Cloud.” 

Both did a better job at hiding their shock than Genesis had but their tells were plain as day to Squall who knew them so well. 

“I see, quite lovely to meet you.” Quistis said, recovering first. She knew that Squall had married, had seen the gold band he wore to work daily but he saw her subtly glance at the diamond he wore now. 

“And you,” Cloud echoed. “It’s nice to put a name to a face.” 

“When did you go and get hitched?” Seifer questioned, his brows furrowed. 

“Several months ago now,” Squall said. “We kept things simple.” 

Cloud hummed his agreement. “I’ve never much cared for the limelight. All the fuss and pictures turned out to be something we both wanted to avoid. Our wedding was small but no less perfect.” 

“I’m glad to hear it,” Quistis said. “The day should be special and I know how private Leonhart is.” 

“You clearly come from money,” Seifer said with no tact whatsoever. “Which great inheritance is yours?” 

“Seifer,” Squall’s tone was nothing short of a warning. 

Cloud sipped from his flute again. “Nothing so grand. My surname was Strife.” 

“Strife,” Seifer repeated, paling only a shade. “Does that make you distantly related to the Shinra’s?” 

“Distantly,” Cloud wore the too pretty smile. “Strife’s however, stay out of trouble. I am more a patron of the arts, and was delighted to hear about this gallery opening.” 

“You certainly must have an eye for it,” Quistis said. 

Cloud’s smile grew, his grip on Squall’s arm telling. “I certainly do.” 

All four of them jerked when the lights flickered several times before going out completely. There was an outcry of startled gasps from the crowd as darkness settled. The drunkards were the most excitable but the general feeling of unease descended. 

“What the hell?” Seifer commented. “This place is newly built. They had their inspections two weeks ago, there shouldn’t be any electrical problems.” 

“Unless it wasn’t an accident,” Quistis muttered. She might have been all dolled up for the evening but she went from guest to cop just as quickly as the lights had gone off. 

“There’s candles on the table with the canapes,” Cloud said, dropping his hold on Squall’s arm to lace their fingers instead. With the lights out it would be easier to maneuver that way and still prevent them from getting separated.

“Not enough,” Squall said, keeping a hold of Cloud and dropping his glass in the vague direction of one of the tables while instead blindly reaching for Quistis. It was a small attempt to get them out of the way of the coming stampede of tipsy party goers looking for the exit. Even Seifer somehow managed to move with them and Squall could only tell because he was with three blondes whose hair managed to catch some of the moonlight shining through a nearby window. 

“Ridiculous,” Quistis hissed. 

“The artwork!” Cloud inhaled. “The artwork is in danger of being damaged!” 

“Or stolen,” Squall and Seifer muttered simultaneously. 

“Alright boys, this is what we’re going to do. Almasy, you attempt to get some order into these idiots and get them outside safely. Also watch the front entrance to see if anyone is acting suspicious.” 

Seifer scoffed, “What? Like in case they shoved an entire painting down their pants?!” 

“Stranger things have happened,” She snapped, marching over to one of the tables that glowed with soft light to grab an ostentatious candelabra. “The sooner we find the gallery’s security to help, the better.” 

“More like sleeping guards,” Squall said, “We need to head back into the gallery.” 

“Let’s go, Leonhart. Someone’s bound to have called the police soon enough. We need to make sure nothing gets stolen before then.” 

Squall nodded, but the hand still in his had him hesitating. It was dark enough he could barely see Cloud, but he had to make sure… “Cloud…” 

“I’ll head outside with Seifer,” Cloud said, an understanding lilt in his voice. “Be careful.” 

“Got it,” Squall muttered, squeezing his hand before letting go and ignoring Seifer’s comments about love birds. He grabbed a candle of his own and hated it. There was zero element of surprise when he was a glowing light in the darkness but the party was still in chaos and tripping over a drunk woman in heels would only get them both hurt. 

It was a clumsy route for the first couple of minutes but Squall had cut through the crowd with Quistis directly behind him. Getting into the exhibition was proving to be impossible, but Quistis solved that problem with the projection of her own voice. 

“Police! Freeze! Calm yourselves and walk to your nearest exit without trampling on the person in front of you! Walk, you absolute imbeciles! The lights have shut off, that’s all! Go!” 

As Squall entered the room, it was still filled with people shuffling around nervously but he didn’t have nearly enough light with his candle to see more than his immediate surroundings and those who had gathered near the windows towards the moonlight. 

“Police!” Squall identified himself. “Everyone needs to make their way safely outside. Any employees need to approach me so we can see about getting the artwork secured!” 

“I dunno if they're still here?” Someone offered. 

Squall frowned. “Who are you?” 

“Uh, name’s Sora, I’m one of the local artists. I didn’t want to leave my works…” 

“Right,” Squall muttered, irritated. “No employees then? No guards?” When he was met with silence he tried again. “Any other artists keeping watch over their artwork?” 

That got him a more helpful murmuring. Like Sora, most of the local artists had stayed behind. They were likely too poor to risk losing their pieces that were worth selling. 

“What’s the story, Leonhart?” Quistis asked as she stepped into the room. 

“Staff is useless and bailed,” he reported. “Many artists remained though. Hey. Sora. Have you spent any time in here? Is there some place nearby that's secluded enough for us to transfer these paintings for safe keeping?”

“Uh,” Sora hesitated. “Yeah. They’re adding a restoration room, but it’s not finished yet. It’s in the basement.” 

“Alright. Artists, grab your stuff and come with me, we’re going to get your artwork somewhere safe. Anyone else still in here that wants to be useful can grab some of the extra pieces. We’re going to get them locked up for the night.” 

“I’ll stay here,” Quistis said, and he could see in the dim lighting that she’d drawn her gun from… somewhere. “Make sure no one has any funny ideas.” 

“Yes, ma’am,” Squall said, carefully grabbing a painting under one arm while Sora and the others grabbed what they could. “Next to me, Sora. Show me where I'm going.” 

“Yes sir,” Sora said, and he led Squall through a side door. Two hallways over led them to another door and a set of stairs. Up until that point windows had been helping to light the way but the stairway was dark and he ordered everyone to be extra careful. 

The room was mostly empty, nothing but long tables and work stations that were currently empty. The restoration room wasn’t a key feature that needed to be up and running the same day as the gallery’s opening so it had likely been left alone until they had more time to bring in the cleaning equipment. The tables would be useful now. 

Art work that wasn’t laid out on the tables was lined up carefully against the walls. It would hopefully be safe here and he didn’t care what rich sod had a problem with him moving their property. The point was to keep everything safe though he didn’t expect to be thanked. Rounding up all of his assistants, they all left the dark room and returned to the gallery before turning around and making a second trip. 

Quistis still stood guard, but there hadn’t yet been any word about what had gone wrong with the lights. The noise outside was growing with the drunk elite feeling bullied out in the night but that got to be someone else’s problem. 

It wasn’t until Squall came back for a third time that he heard shouting. A frame had clattered to the floor, the sound shattering the quiet seconds before Quistis had yelled for someone to stop. Squall couldn’t see them in the poor lighting, but she had. 

“Leonhart, I'm pursuing!" 

“Go!” He agreed, hearing her kick off her heels before she took off deeper into the gallery. 

He handed the candle over to the artists and had them make another trip to the restoration room while he waited. He thought it would be the last trip until he nearly kicked the frame that had fallen over. 

Picking it up, he resigned himself to heading down there one last time to deliver it but for now, he waited in the dark, very distantly hearing Quistis’ shouting at a possible burglar. This was very much not how the night was meant to go and it could have been nothing more than an electrical error but… he doubted it. 

Several minutes later Sora returned with a handful of others. “Is that everything?” 

“I have one more,” Squall said, taking the candle back. “All of you head outside and if anyone questions why you took so long to evacuate, tell them you were following police orders.” 

“Yes, sir,” Sora said and Squall could just barely make the group out as they left his light. The windows would more or less light the path for them and Squall was just glad the gallery hadn’t been full yet. It made the process of getting everything somewhere safe done all the more quickly. 

With a frame under his arm he headed back to the restoration room, glad he’d gotten to walk the halls more than once to remember the way. It was down right creepy in the dark once he was alone. 

Pushing the door open, Squall set the last painting down carefully and was relieved to see the keys glinting in the candle light, dangling by the door frame. He was only moments from walking out and locking the door behind him when a soft tear caught his attention. The sound of a blade through paper or something heavier. Quietly, Squall dropped the key into his pocket and inhaled softly to ready himself.

Whirling around, Squall drew his own gun. Not the one he wore day to day but a smaller bodied gun that would fit in his expensive clothes. 

“Police. Freeze,” Squall demanded, though he couldn’t see anyone yet. The noise he’d heard had come from inside the room, he was sure of that much. “Come out, hands up. Identify yourself and you might not get shot.” 

Gun in one hand and candle in the other was not ideal, but he didn’t move when a shadow stood up from where they’d been crouching on the floor. They were shorter than he was, but damn if he could make out anything else. 

“Slow,” Squall ordered, but everything went to hell in an instant. The supposed burglar picked up the nearest frame from off a table and moved to swing it. Squall reacted quickly, moving to cover his face from a possible blow but he realized too late that the burglar didn’t throw anything at him at all. Instead they used the breeze from waving the frame to blow out the candle he held, draping the room in immediate darkness. 

“Shit,” Squall hissed, dropping the useless candle and moving to block the door when he heard soft footsteps running towards him. “Stop!” 

The burglar got around him, having a better sense of the layout of the room than Squall did but not before Squall got a feel of the sleek, skin tight material they wore. The chase began immediately, both of them nearly tripping up the steps. 

Squall aimed high, shooting once and scowling when that only had the thief running faster rather than stopping briefly in a moment of fright. He might not have been able to see but he knew he was on the shadow’s heels, only just far enough away not to touch when he reached out. 

The burglar was able to sprint once they made it to an open hallway, but so was Squall. They kept away from the windows but Squall was focused on the nearly muted noises of their steps and breathing that wasn’t his own. He slammed into a wall when the shadow took a sudden turn but Squall kept after them. 

He could also just barely hear a police siren in the distance but that was going to be too little too late to wait for them to arrive. The thief was too nimble and the second his eyes were off them, they’d be gone. 

“Running is pointless!” Squall growled. “The doors will be watched, there’s nowhere to go!” 

A smart thief however was one that knew to keep going, and one who knew the lay of the land. When they opened a door and ducked inside a room, Squall grabbed right before it latched and threw it open. One of the walls held great big windows, but not on the side of the gallery that had moonlight spilling in. It was only the barest amount more helpful than the dark corridors. 

“Hands where I can see them.” Squall said, gun raised. They were in an office of some kind, probably something belonging to the new curator. It was only partially decorated but in those few seconds, the thief had already made it to the window, one left open. 

It was possibly even an entry point, but that would need to be worked out later. 

The shadow was nothing more than a silhouette, slim and agile but Squall saw the way they cocked their head to the side. They said nothing but they didn’t make a move either. This was a professional, waiting for Squall to make the first move, and what might also be the first mistake depending on the circumstances. 

“Menace,” he muttered, jumping out of his skin when his name was shouted down the hall. 

“Leonhart! Where are you!?” 

Squall spun around, exiting the room and shutting the door behind him. 

“Leonhart!” 

“Almasy? What are you doing back inside?” 

He could just barely make out the large shadow that approached him. “We heard a gun shot. Trepe caught a would be thief, just a dumb kid but we heard the shot. That you? You hurt?” 

“It was me, I'm fine,” Squall snapped, sure he sounded stressed. “I went to lock up the paintings in the restoration room and there was someone laying in wait. I don’t think I hit them, it’s too bloody dark.” 

“What the fuck kind of heist was this?” Almasy cursed. “Thought the kid was doing a beginners job but it sounds more like he was the bait. A somewhat decent distraction. Yours get away?” 

“Yeah, lost them down this hallway and I've been checking rooms one at a time.” He gestured to the door behind him, “This one is clear but until we get more man power and some damn lights it might be a lost cause.” 

Almasy tsked, “Nothing adds up. Anything stolen?” 

“I have no idea but I don't think the thief was carrying anything. We might have gotten lucky. Speaking of,” Squall put his gun away and grabbed the key. “I need to backtrack to the restoration room and lock it. I never got the chance.” 

Almasy might have nodded, it was hard to tell. “I’ll go with you. They’re supposedly working on the lights now.” 

Squall heaved a sigh and headed back down the corridor. He was so turned around that they’d likely need to go all the way back to the gallery so he could take the path he knew to the restoration room. 

“I trust my husband is safe outside?” Squall asked. 

“Yeah, I guess. He found the Shinra to hang around with. You sure know how to pick ‘em.” Almasy muttered. 

“He’s a sweet man,” Squall grumbled, but he didn’t say anything else, he didn’t owe Seifer answers like that. 

It took the better part of an hour to get everything done. The Restoration room had been locked and nearly a dozen policemen were now in attendance to search the gallery room by room. The lights had even been temporarily fixed while Squall gave his detailed report to Inspector Trepe. 

They’d briefly gotten to interrogate the kid who’d tried and failed to steal right under Quistis’ nose. He was a young blond kid who supposedly went by the name Prompto. He was in it for the money, desperate enough to give it a try when the gallery wouldn’t even humor the idea of showing his art. 

“Leonhart, we can head back in.” Inspector Trepe said once the kid was put in the back of a police car. 

“Yes, ma’am, I'll be there in a minute,” Squall said, getting a nod from her before he weaved through the crowd which was slowly being allowed to leave after police checked identification. 

He found Cloud leaning against the door of his car, looking like he’d been waiting alone all night. 

“Hey!” Cloud greeted, traces of worry in his tone. “Are you alright? Rumors are already going crazy.” He stopped forward, wrapping his arms around Squall who clung to him just as tightly. 

“I’m fine,” Squall sighed, exhausted. He pressed a kiss to Cloud’s mouth and slipped a hand under his suit jacket. It was dark out, and most people had better things to do than stare too hard at a couple making out. Not when those same people were annoyed and stressed and likely just wanted to go home. 

It meant no one was watching when Squall pulled Cloud’s shirt free from the waist of his pants to reach under it, feeling a soft, skin tight material waiting for him. 

“Menace,” Squall repeated against his lips. 

“You shot at me,” Cloud actually had the nerve to pout. 

“I missed, don’t complain. You promised to behave tonight.” 

Cloud shook his head, smiling. “I promised to keep you company tonight. You’re the one that left me unsupervised.” 

Squall huffed out a laugh against his lips and stole another kiss. “Don’t lie to me. I saw you casing the place as we walked around.” 

“You can’t break me of all my bad habits in only a few months, lion.” Cloud said softly. “But I genuinely had nothing to do with the break in. Amateur work really. Poor kid.” 

“Supposedly he’s an artist. Application to the gallery got denied and he was trying to make a little money.” 

“Oh,” Cloud frowned. “I’ll have to take a look at it. Maybe pay his bail since he didn’t steal anything.” 

“The last thing I need is you with an apprentice,” Squall said. “Go home, dearest. I’ll probably be here the rest of the night. No reason for you to wait.” 

Cloud nodded, “I’ll have breakfast waiting for you. Be safe.” 

Squall straightened out Cloud’s clothes a little and kissed him goodbye before heading back into the gallery to track down Inspector Trepe. He’d watched to make sure Cloud had pulled away, going through the police check out before heading home. At least that was one problem out of the way. He’d let the others continue searching for a second thief that wasn’t there. 

“Everything alright, Leonhart?” Almasy asked when Squall made it back inside. 

“Yeah,” Squall sighed. “Sent Cloud home. He didn’t need to sit in the car and wait for me.” 

“True enough. This night has been long enough.” Inspector Trepe said. She never did put her heels back on. “We did keep Genesis Rhapsodos. He’ll be the best one to tell us if anything is missing or damaged. He’s looking through the artwork now.” 

“Good,” Squall nodded. One less thing on their plate. “Did the kid say he was working with anyone?” 

“No,” Trepe shook her head. “He admitted to cutting the power but he seemed genuinely surprised at the notion of a second thief. I believe him, kid couldn’t lie his way out of a paper bag.” 

Almasy was scribbling in a small notebook. “Crime of opportunity?" 

“Possible,” Squall agreed, “Also just as likely they had the same idea as the kid. Strike before opening day. Security was truly appalling.” 

“Yes,” Trepe agreed dryly, “I think it’s safe to say they’re all fired now.” 

“Inspector!” Genesis appeared through the door looking ashen. “One painting is missing.” 

“What?” Squall inhaled. “The kid didn’t have anything and I’m….fairly sure the thief I was chasing was empty handed.” 

“A third thief?” Almasy speculated. “One that went back to finish the job after you were in pursuit. You and Trepe couldn’t chase everyone.” 

“Possible,” Trepe muttered but she was scowling. 

Genesis shook his head and held up a frame that was now empty. “I can’t speak to the number of intruders, but they could have gotten away with it unseen. They carefully cut the canvas out of the back of the frame it was pinned to. Expert work. They could have just rolled it up and wouldn’t have been as weighed down.” 

The cutting. It was a cutting noise he’d heard in the restoration room. It earned disgusted noises from all of them at being bested. 

“We’ll continue searching. If there’s anything to be found, we will.” Inspector Trepe said, and then she moved to Genesis to get him to show her exactly how the painting had been stolen. 

Squall remembered the frame. He remembered the painting. That was Terra Branford’s painting, a masterpiece now in the wind. 

“Damn it, I’m going to find that damn thief.” Cloud was seriously going to get it when he got home.

Chapter Text

8/12 - Day 3 - Guide and Sentinel / Runaway

Squall’s boot nearly slipped out from under him. The light rain was persistent, making the ground just muddy enough to make the difficult chase all the more a pain in the ass. Had there not been a nearby tree branch for him to grab at the last second he might have gone head first into a bramble bush that would have cut up his already scarred face. 

The only thing he could hear well was his own labored breathing as he tried to maintain his quick pace. He wanted to stop and take a handful of minutes to rest but the Call thrummed through him, both objectively foreign and distinctively recognizable all at the same time. 

When a call came, he was compelled to answer though he’d never felt anything like this one before. Often it was his own spirit guide who occasionally led him around but the sense of wrongness quivered in his chest when a wolf had appeared in front of him. The spirit guide circled around him and barreled into the back of his knees, nearly knocking him over just to get him moving. The message had been received though Squall had had no time to prepare. 

Having no idea where he was going, there had been no supplies brought along with him. At the very least he was starting to wish he had gloves. Between the mountain air and the rain his digits were downright frigid. 

“Slow down,” Squall muttered, working his way up an incline that he prayed would level out soon. He had to cut a path for himself through downed tree limbs and out of control vegetation that grew wildly and untouched. Climbing over a fallen tree had nearly taken a few years off his life when it unexpectedly rolled once his weight was pressed on it. The middle had rotted out leaving it nowhere near as sturdy as it looked. 

The one small glimmer of good luck was his own spirit guide appearing. His lion was so out of place, lost with him in the mountain’s woods but Griever was equally determined to follow the wolf. He was able to keep tabs on the wolf in those brief moments Squall lost sight of him and would find the best path for Squall to take. 

In no time at all, the wolf would circle around again to make sure Squall was still following. He was half certain that the wolf would have been dragging him by his belts if he’d thought that would have gotten Squall to move faster. It gave him one small piece of information. This call was urgent. 

Squall’s ankle nearly twisted when the step he took gave out and Squall cursed the mud once more when his hand slammed into jagged bark on a nearby tree. Griever moved to stand beside him, letting Squall use his back for balance to get his footing again so he could restart his chase. 

The wolf was desperate, and no empathic ability was needed to work that out. Body language was telling enough but spiked Squall’s own anxiety despite Griever muffling it to keep him focused. He couldn’t remember the last time his own spirit guide had needed to moderate his emotions and the regression wasn’t appreciated. 

“Wait,” Squall muttered again, nearly gagging a second later when a vile smell hit him. An intrusive thought said something must be dead to reek so badly but when that thought settled he went cold. Was something actually dead the source of this call? 

Squall did what he could to pick up the pace, reaching for the damp collar of his shirt to hold over his nose and mouth as the smell steadily got worse. Something was rotting nearby and it was impressive that that smell hadn’t somehow leeched all the color away from the nearby trees. He stopped once to gag again, spitting out the bile that was attempting to gather at the back of his throat. 

The wolf was slamming against his legs again before he’d even managed to stand upright again. Griever snapped at him but not in aggression. It was more like his lion was trying to comfort the wolf in his own way. Squall imagined their exchange was something like Griever explaining to the wolf that Squall being knocked back down the incline would be counter-productive to whatever this was turning into. 

Maybe the wet hike was just making him feverish. 

“I’m coming,” Squall said in a raspy tone, shirt collar back over his face. “Keep going. Show me.” 

The wolf sprinted ahead but it wasn’t long before he stopped. Squall could see him pacing back and forth in agitation but the soft whining reached his ears before long. The festering smell had Squall’s eyes watering, his steps unintentionally slowing as he approached the wolf. 

In front of him was an old ravine cut into the side of the mountain. In better circumstances he might have tried to get a running start and jump to the other side of it instead of looking for a narrower path to continue, but he didn’t need to continue. 

The first thing Squall really took note of was light blue fabric. It was covered in mud, leaves and sticks but it was out of place all the same. Next was the severed human arm only a foot away. His breath hitched, the smell somehow a hundred times worse with the visual as more and more splotches of that light blue fabric got his attention. 

People. The smell was people. 

Squall turned around, barely making it five steps before he started puking. He nearly choked at the same time, falling into a coughing fit but every time he tried to inhale that putrid smell assaulted him more. The dry heaving persisted, and he didn’t know how long he’d been falling apart but when he shakily straightened again, Griever was sitting on his right and the wolf on his left. 

“Okay,” He swallowed, his throat burning. “What do you need?” 

The wolf headbutted his hip, gently this time as he returned to the edge of the ravine and started sliding down the sloped edge. Squall really didn’t want to do that, but he reluctantly followed. Trying to stay upright with it still raining wasn’t happening and he’d immediately fallen on his ass, sliding the rest of the short way to the bottom. His boot immediately hit a body which filled him with a new kind of dread he’d never felt before. He mentally apologized, wincing at the unintentional disrespect. 

He was sitting next to a mass grave, the clues of how they got there accumulating with little effort. The blue fabric was a sort of medical gown, and not everyone in the grave had one. Some were left naked, others were left in pieces, Squall’s breathing grew erratic but he looked for the wolf. 

The bodies had been stacked, more likely just thrown into the ravine, but the wolf still managed to avoid stepping on people. Squall didn’t know if he could manage the same, but before he could over think it, he was hit by a strange sensation he was struggling to acknowledge. 

Dead bodies didn’t have emotions. There was no brain activity and therefore, nothing for him to latch onto. He shouldn’t have felt anything other than his own horror over this scene in front of him but there was still something, A buzzing or a nagging, a flicker of something and Squall’s throat nearly squeezed shut. 

“Someone’s alive,” He whispered and the wolf pawed at someone’s back frantically. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.” 

Squall pushed himself back onto his feet and tried to cross over the bottom of the ravine, wincing every time he stepped on something that was not ‘ground’ with a shuddering ‘sorry’. 

Squall reached for the person the wolf was pawing at, and knew immediately it wasn’t them given their lack of leg and the amount of blood caked onto their skin. The wolf tried to move under the body as Squall gently rolled them to the side with shaking hands. 

He ended up moving two more people before finding a man that might have been blond under all the filth, his eyes half lidded. Squall’s reaction was immediate. His mind roared the word Sentinel , and it made Squall’s stomach churn worse. The wolf licked his face with a whimper as if that would rouse him but Squall doubted very much it would. He hoped it wouldn’t. This was not a place he would ever want to suddenly wake up. 

Checking for a pulse had mixed results. He couldn’t find it, then thought for a second he had it. Over and over he searched for the comfort of a bu-bump but it didn’t make a difference in the long run, no matter what those old first aid classes told him. If the wolf belonged with this man then Squall wouldn’t doubt him. He was worth seeking help for, and Squall was there to do whatever he could. The faint pulses of brain activity was still coming from him, and whether he was in a coma or zoned didn’t matter. 

“C’mon,” Squall coughed, not sure if the rain was making the smell better or worse. He lifted the man up into his arms and pushed away the thoughts of how he weighed nothing. There were scars down his neck and he was ice cold to touch but all of that needed to wait until after they were out of the ravine. 

It was a struggle to climb out with the man in his arms but he hadn’t yet had a good enough opportunity to evaluate him and throwing him over his shoulder to climb back out might have done more harm than good. In the end, it was Griever and the wolf both pushing him up to the edge of the ravine, allowing themselves to be used as stepping stones in the dire situation to free them both from the mass grave. 

He’d make sure all those other people were taken care of but first he had to get this man somewhere safe, he needed to stop shaking and be productive but all he wanted was to get them as far away from that ravine as he could. 

The wolf seemed calmer now, his gaze unwaveringly on his partner. It did nothing to soothe Squall’s trembling but Griever’s presence was reassuring. He needed to get this man to safety, and Squall was at least aware enough to know he couldn’t do that on his own. 

His steps slowed, and he carefully lowered himself to his knees so he could lay the man down on a reasonably flat spot on the ground. He shoved sticks out of the way and went about checking his injuries. Blackened bruises, needle marks, and shallow cuts that were crusted over with dried blood were the most obvious. Squall suspected a number of possible broken bones and his breathing, so shallow he could only just detect it was alarming. There were numerous scars, some of them surgical, many of them older and in the process of fading. Squall turned to the side to spit out the bile that tried to build again before he threw up in anger. Anger puking was not on his agenda. 

He grabbed his phone and called a number on autopilot. 

“I was getting worried,” Quistis answered without a standard hello a second later. “It’s been days since you ran off.” 

“Quistis,” Squall’s voice cracked pathetically. He didn’t think he could sound so ragged with just a single word. “I need a medical evacuation. Track my phone.” 

“Got it,” She said immediately and he could hear her shuffling something in the background. “Are you hurt?”

He swallowed and the acidic taste made him wish he had something to wash his mouth out with. “Not me. Found a mass grave. Twenty or thirty people. One was alive.” He held his cell phone between his ear and shoulder while he started pulling off his jacket. The cold air and rain made him shiver when droplets of water hit the back of his neck. He ignored it though because he wasn’t the one mostly naked. 

Quistis inhaled sharply but it didn’t get in the way of her work. “I’ll tell the Matron. I’ll have your phone location in the next two minutes. What do you need?” 

“Extraction,” Squall said, doing what he could to wrap his jacket around the man who must have been freezing. It was better than nothing. “He needs medical attention as fast as possible. Sentinel, unresponsive.” He took a deep breath and tried to calm down. 

Sentinel’s were almost bright when it came to their emotions, overpowering in a different way than their enhanced senses but Squall had always liked that part of them. For this Sentinel in particular to be so dull was heartbreaking but the obvious medical trauma was clearly to blame. 

He was startled when Quistis spoke again, he’d already forgotten she was on the phone while he fussed over the man. 

“I have your location. It’ll be authorized in a minute but it’ll still take them a few hours to get there.” 

That was better than the days it had taken him. 

Squall coughed and cleared his throat. “I’ll be waiting. We need to… We need to take care of the grave.” 

“I’m meeting the Matron in three minutes.” 

“Good. I’m…” Squall hesitated and coughed again. “I’m going to keep moving.” 

“Be careful,” Quistis said, a worried edge to her voice. 

They hung up, and Squall was scooping the man back up into his arms again. “Let’s get away from that smell,” Squall muttered. “Don’t you worry. I’ll be your Guide until you’re back on your feet.” 

He was depending on Griever and the wolf to lead him somewhere a little safer away from the gruesome scene behind him. This time it was Griever that took the lead and the wolf stayed right by his side, right next to his partner. 

Squall tried to share as much of his warmth as he could, but there was little of it to go around at the moment. Fortunately, Quistis would be loud about gathering a medical team as quickly as possible and there was something of a silver lining to living in Balamb Garden. It was a sanctuary and nearly everyone there was either a Sentinel or a Guide that had awakened. Some went to learn how to focus their new abilities and some stayed to teach. The safety it offered them from the rest of the world was unparalleled and if this man’s condition was any indication… he could use a safe environment. 

There was this sneaking suspicion in the back of Squall’s head that everyone in that grave had been either a Sentinel or Guide but he couldn’t afford to think about that now. The last thing he wanted to do was vomit on this man and his stomach had nothing else to offer anyway. 

Squall shifted his hold on the Sentinel, attempting to put as much contact between them as he could given their position. He nearly lost his footing but Griever was there to keep him from stumbling and going down the incline was better than climbing up it. 

His eyes watered still, and he physically shook his head to try and clear his own overwhelming emotions. The rain had let up, but cold drops continued to hit him from above. He walked, with the single minded goal of getting somewhere that felt safer and avoiding all the branches that were scraping against them. If finding a path for him was difficult, finding one while carrying another person was damn near impossible. 

It had been at least a half an hour trudging through mud when he pressed his back to a trunk of a tree and slid down to sit with the Sentinel on his lap. He was pretty sure they were away from the smell though he was struggling to focus on the smell of damp earth around him rather than the forceful rot he’d never forget. 

“Alright,” Squall sighed, rubbing his hands up and down the blonde’s legs in a small attempt to generate a little warmth. His phone was being tracked and help would come soon but he needed to focus on the man in his arms. Squall wasn’t a doctor and a medical team would no doubt be needed but Squall could help his mental state.

His eyes were half lidded, the blue of his iris’ nearly glowing which wasn’t something Squall was actually familiar with but it did confirm to Squall that this wasn’t a normal coma. With a shaky breath he cupped the back of the man’s neck and closed his eyes to try and find him. 

The buzz of unconsciousness was frighteningly easy to brush past. Squall sank deeper into his mind, completely unsurprised to find Griever there and waiting for him. The first few seconds were disorienting but with a nudge from his lion, he found himself in the man’s mindscape. They were in an unfamiliar room, one wall completely made of windows to let the sunshine spill in. 

The blond was curled up on a bed with his wolf pressed against his back.

In this place he was clean, wearing loose pajamas and looking more like he was sleeping. It felt more like a lazy Sunday morning than a damn trek through the woods. There were still hints of his captivity and torture in the white scars across his limbs. The dark circles under his eyes and the twitch to his fingers were telling. In the spirit world, he was trying to get the rest he couldn’t get otherwise. A cozy bedroom is exactly what he needed. 

Squall sat down on the edge of the bed and touched his face, turning down all of his senses. He started with smell, dulling it as far as he dared. He moved through each of his senses, hardly surprised that all of them were dialed up as high as they could conceivably go. The suspicions that his senses had been purposely attacked made him ill, but all thought vanished from his mind when those blue eyes sharpened and stared up at him. 

Squall felt as if the spirit world around him fluttered, his voice caught in his throat. “Sentinel.” 

This man wasn’t just a Sentinel, he was Squall’s Sentinel. 

The shock threw him back out of the spirit world with a gasp on his lips. Glowing blue eyes peered up at him hazily, nowhere near as focused as they had been in the spirit world. 

“Hey…” Squall whispered, hand coming up to brush his thumb against the man’s cheek. “We’ll be somewhere safe soon.” 

He got a slow blink in response, but he’d been watching Squall’s lips as he spoke. Dialing down how loud everything must have been to him would only help what must have been one hell of a headache. 

“Listen to my voice. My breathing. My heartbeat,” Squall spoke just above a whisper. The man’s eyes shut again, exhaustion pulling at him. “I got you.” 

Squall glanced up towards the sky when he heard the approaching helicopter. They’d be home soon. 

~

Cloud woke slowly, grogginess clinging to him while something in the back of his head said wrong, wrong, wrong. Sleep might have reclaimed him had the odd sense that he should be panicking not kicked in. 

He took a deep breath and his world seemed to quiver when he managed it without a sharp pain in his chest. The pain that had been so all consuming was…not entirely gone. He could still feel it a little but it felt like such a minor ache rather than feeling like he was being torn open by dull teeth. 

The next thing that occurred to him was how quiet everything was. He strained to listen but there was nothing but a nearly muted beep and.. Was that a bird chirping? He’d finally gone insane. There had always been noises, be it soft chatter or the clanking of metal surgical tools. Clicking on computers or doors being shut and locked were common too.

Time had blurred together, and Cloud had no idea how long he’d been in Professor Hojo’s sickening laboratory other than ‘a long time’. He’d grown used to the background noises and being someplace quiet was unsettling. There were no mercies here. His senses had been assaulted in every way possible but never once had he heard something as comforting as a bird. 

A bird was too much of an illusion of freedom and those hopes had long withered away. 

It was possible he was dreaming. That would explain why everything felt so far away and detached. That would explain the bird singing and the fact that he was cradled by soft fabric instead of stainless steel or concrete. The very idea of soft sheets or blankets was foreign but he could almost smell a gentle soap that had to be his imagination. 

On top of all that, a dream of sunshine across his arm and cheek was nearly too much. He’d never take little things like warmth for granted again. He could covet it only in his own dreams. Carefully, as if afraid the professor would haunt him even here, Cloud rotated one wrist and then the other. He wasn’t tied down. 

So far this was a decent dream instead of a nightmare. If only it would last. Never waking up was an option too but Professor Hojo wanted to scrape every last bit of usefulness out of his specimens, sometimes very literally.

When Cloud realized there was shifting beside him, he went instantly still. Playing dead had aided him more than once but instead of the prick of a needle he felt a wet tongue against his cheek followed by a cold nose. The surprise had his eyes flying open, his wolf peering down at him with his tongue lulled out the side of his mouth. 

“Fen?” He whispered, hardly believing his eyes. Ah, but being in the spirit world made far more sense than having a nice dream. 

He’d awakened while being held prisoner by that mad man. The only silver lining had been the brief moments he got to spend with his spirit guide. A small handful of the other awakened Sentinel’s whispered about their spirit guides when they thought no one was listening. Cloud had known better though, and assumed the doctors were always listening in. He never breathed a word of his wolf, and Fenrir certainly knew not to appear before his captors where he could be seen. 

Fenrir nudged him again, nose pressing against his cheek affectionately a second time and he felt how calm his wolf was for once. There had always been an underlining of stress, but it wasn’t a mystery as to why. His partner being so relaxed was immensely out of character, but then again, maybe Cloud was just dead. 

Would Fenrir still be able to visit him if he was dead? 

Cloud squinted when he looked past Fenrir, frowning at…everything. The lights were dim, hardly worth being on at all, but sunshine decorated the room through open curtains that let in light and fresh air. Air that didn’t smell like chemicals and cleaning supplies. 

The edges of the room weren’t fuzzy the way the spirit world could be. Everything looked far too…real. He was laying in an actual bed, a green and brown comforter draped over him. In front of one of the opened windows was a desk with a few papers scattered around. There was a dresser, a side table, and a bookshelf that touched the ceiling. There were three doors that perplexed him, his brain tripping over itself trying to understand what was going on. A closet? A way out? A bathroom? 

As far as he could tell he was in a perfectly normal bedroom that was rather on the cozy side. The only oddities were Fenrir laying beside him with his tail wagging and the IV in Cloud’s arm that connected to a machine that had evidently been wheeled in here for the purpose of monitoring him. At least he found the source of the soft beeping he’d heard earlier. 

He wasn’t exactly sure what it was doing though since someone had draped a towel across it to cover the glowing screen and buttons. His eyes certainly appreciated that. 

“Fen? What’s going on?” Cloud asked, reaching out with his hand to touch the side of his wolf’s neck. He was soft and real and there and… Assuming this wasn’t a dream or the spirit world, assuming this place was real then Fenrir feeling safe enough to appear next to him was telling. He’d never done that before, not to Cloud’s knowledge anyway. 

His last memories were hazy, but this wasn’t where he was before. He was fairly certain anyway. He’d had a snippet of a dream where someone had been holding him like he had value, rather than one of Hojo’s projects, but a dream was all it had been. He’d still been cold and scared and sleep had never been so kind to him. 

A distracting shadow crossed the window in a flash, making Cloud’s heart rate kick up a notch but Fenrir’s tail continued to thud pleasantly against his leg so it wasn’t a threat. When a soft chirp picked up again he realized it was a bird. An actual live bird that was singing in a tree just outside the window. 

It took Cloud that long to realize that everything was muted because his senses were dialed back. Since the day he’d awakened they hadn’t ever been so low. Low senses didn’t get the results Professor Hojo wanted, though Cloud had never been privy to what that psychopath was actually after. The constant noise came in waves of altering volume until his ears bled. Adding to that the flashing lights in multiple colors that gave him migraines until he threw up. 

If that was all he had to endure in a single day then it was a light day of experiments.

“Help me sit up,” He mumbled, trying to push himself up onto his elbows so he could scoot back into a sitting position but Fenrir had other ideas. His spirit guide gently thunked his head down onto Cloud’s collarbone, and it both acted as a weight to keep him still and surprised Cloud once again with the lack of pain it caused. 

“Really Fen?” He grumbled, wiggling in vain but his bare feet sliding against the soft sheets was nearly overwhelming. He remembered being cold recently, so cold he worried about his fingers and toes. He couldn’t remember why or what that experiment involved but he decided he didn’t want to remember anyway. Realizing he was warm after that experience was enough to make his body fall limp. 

This bed might have been the most comfortable thing he’d ever touched. His nerves might have been shaken but he wanted to hold onto this moment for as long as possible. There was no telling when the other shoe would drop. 

Any panic he was starting to feel was dimmed by Fenrir’s presence but he had more questions than answers. There was no way this place was some kind of reward for living through Hojo’s hellscape. 

One of the doors popped open that must have been the one to lead to somewhere else and the person was gasping before even coming fully into view. 

“You are awake.” 

Cloud tensed, ready to rip the IV needle out of his arm and fight if he had to but Fenrir growled in greeting as a man walked in carrying a tray that might have held food. Cloud wasn’t sure since his eyes were glued to the man, his throat tightening in recognition. 

He was tall, broad in the shoulders and too damn handsome. The scar between his eyes did nothing to distract from it and only somehow enhanced the stormy color of his eyes. 

“Guide,” Cloud whispered reverently, unsure why he was so certain. He’d only met one guide before outside of Hojo’s facility and he’d been a kid then. This man however wasn’t just a Guide. He was Cloud’s Guide. 

Cloud reached to grip Fenrir’s fur, so many questions swirling in his head that he didn’t know where to start. 

“You’re confused,” He stated. “It’s okay, I can't begin to imagine what you’ve been through. We’ll take things one step at a time.” He set the tray down on the bedside table, “I thought I felt you wake up but I wasn't sure. I brought you some food anyway. Broth and tea, medical team’s order but it tastes better than it sounds.” 

Cloud inhaled shakily, unable to take his eyes off the man who stared right back. “Who are you?” 

He sat on the edge of Cloud’s bed. “My name is Squall. I’m so glad you’re awake.” There was actual relief in his voice.

Cloud swallowed thickly, the urge to reach out and touch this man was strong. “Have… I been asleep long?” 

Squall made a so-so gesture with his hand. “I found you nine days ago,” He crossed one knee over the other and Cloud couldn’t help the way he looked. “Your wolf called me to action and I followed.” 

“Found me…?” Cloud repeated, voice breaking. 

“Yeah, you…” He sighed softly, reaching out to touch Cloud’s face but he aborted the motion halfway though. “Would you like to sit up so you can try and eat?”

Cloud was starving and there was nothing more he wanted then to eat something but the unease grew in his stomach at the thought. Having anything to eat in Hojo’s care was a struggle and scraps were used as leverage to encourage good behavior. 

“No need to be so nervous,” Squall said, his voice soft as if knowing raising his voice even a little would set Cloud off. “We’re gonna start small and get you eating normal again. Will you let me help you sit up?” 

Cloud nodded once, and only then did Fenrir lift his head off Cloud’s chest. Squall stood and lifted Cloud up under his arms until he was propped up into a sitting position. Cloud had been bracing for pain and when there were only a few sharp tugs he gave Squall a questioning stare. 

“Pain medications,” Squall answered without needing to be asked. “The medical team induced a coma so you wouldn’t be put through the trauma of dealing with the medical ward while they needed to poke and prod you. You have a couple broken ribs so be very careful how you move.”

Letting out a breath that should have hurt meant he was on good pain killers and that was new. Hojo rarely ever bothered with something as unnecessary as blocking pain. 

“Hey,” Squall rested a hand on Cloud’s knee. “Focus on me. You’re safe now.” 

Cloud grunted once, not wanting to admit that focusing on the man in front of him would be a different kind of distracting.

When Squall handed him the broth, he was surprised to find it in a mug that was easy to hold. The taste was like a feast, flavor coursing over this tongue for the first time in ages. He sucked in air, refusing to tear up over something so normal but he didn’t exactly get to decide what his body wanted to do right now. 

It was a power struggle with himself to savor every sip and not chug the broth but he’d only drank half of it before his stomach began cramping and Squall gently took the mug away from him. Cloud’s breath hitched, a hiccup escaping a second later but Fenrir was there, pressing himself against his thigh and Squall was there too. 

“Focus on me,” Squall repeated, threads of soothing understanding in his voice that could have broken Cloud with kindness. “I got you, Sentinel.” 

The words sent a tremor down Cloud’s spine and he reached to hold onto Squall’s hand. He didn’t even have time to be embarrassed about it before Squall was gripping his hand back, lacing their fingers together. 

“Where are we?” Cloud asked quietly. 

“Balamb Garden,” Squall said. “It’s a sanctuary for people like us. Guides and Sentinels. We’re not forced to stay here or anything but it is easier…” 

“A sanctuary,” Cloud repeated slowly. “How long have you been here?” 

“I was around twelve. I awakened strangely young. I’m not entirely sure what triggered it other than typical life in the orphanage at the time,” Squall answered easily. He didn't have any shame attached to his awakening. 

Cloud tried to wrap his head around it. “You knew to come here?” 

“Not even a little bit,” Squall cracked a smile for him. “The Matron is one of the founders of this place. She came across me by chance. At least that’s what she said at the time. She probably heard rumors about a kid whose emotions were going haywire and making it everyone else's problem.” 

Cloud got the feeling it would be a cute story when he was inclined to tell the whole thing. On the one hand it was nice to know there were people who looked for people like them to offer some kind of help. On the other hand, that hadn’t helped Cloud or the other Sentinel’s Hojo had taken. 

Well… Cloud glanced at Fenrir. Maybe Squall had come for him after all. 

“So this Matron brought you here.” 

Squall hummed, “Yeah. Some come for training after they’ve awakened and then they return home. Others decide to stay.” 

“And you stayed.” It wasn’t exactly a question as much as it was Cloud looking for confirmation. 

“Yeah,” Squall gestured around the room vaguely. “It’s home. I’m able to help the newbies that come in so it's enough for me. Occasionally we’re hired out temporarily but there are many of us who can take those kinds of assignments.” 

Squall had offered quite a bit of information with that statement alone but Cloud was stuck on one part in particular. 

“Home? Here? Did you mean literally here? Is this your home?” Cloud asked, heart beating a little faster. 

He nodded, “It’s probably not right to have assumed but you were wearing a hospital gown when I found you. I figured the last place you wanted to wake up was inside a hospital. I made the arrangements to have you recover here.” 

Cloud was at a loss for words. He was touching the soft comforter again, watching the breeze brush across the curtains. The room was his personal safe haven. 

“A nurse has been coming to check on you,” Squall continued when he didn’t comment. “Anything you need, we can get it for you.” 

“Am I in your bed?” Cloud asked suddenly before he could chicken out. 

“Yes.” 

Cloud wheezed like he’d been sucker punched. The last time he really remembered going to sleep he was curled up in the corner of his cell which contained zero creature comforts. Waking up someplace warm, comfortable, and with a Guide who gave a damn. 

“Focus on me,” Squall whispered, and it was such a tempting offer. He could hear Squall’s heart beat if he listened hard enough. His senses were still dialed back but he pushed at them, wanting a better sense of the man next to him. “I wanted to be able to guarantee you that you were somewhere safe. There isn’t any place I know better.” 

Cloud squeezed his hand a little tighter and ignored the self deprecating voices in his head that said this man could do better than him. “You said you found me,” He muttered. “Must have been a mess.” 

“Not my favorite memory,” Squall agreed. “But I don't regret a thing and I would do it all over again if it meant getting to you in time.” 

That made it sound like he almost hadn’t been in time. Given that he’d been knocked out for over a week, just how broken had he been when Squall found him?” 

“Did you find any of the other Sentinel’s?” Cloud asked, and regretted it when Squall’s expression collapsed for just a second before he was able to catch himself. 

“No. You were the only one still alive. When…” Squall paused to take a breath. “When you’re more healed, a few Sentinel’s around here would like to ask you a couple questions. They want to see if they can find the place where you had been held. We want to make sure there aren’t others in need of rescuing.” 

That eased a knot in Cloud’s stomach. “I can do that. I don’t know much but I’ll answer any questions I can.” 

That small smile was back on Squall’s face, “I’ll let them know but you are resting for a while before then. Do you have family? Someone I should try to contact?” 

Cloud’s lips parted, old fears trying to surface but Squall kept him calm. “Maybe. Not sure anymore. I came from a little town in the mountains. Nibelheim. Nearly everyone there was eventually awakened as a Sentinel or was latent. At least two other boys from my town were grabbed too. I don’t know about anyone else. Dunno about my mom.” 

Squall clucked his tongue, but the sound was distinctly angry. “I’ll pass that along. We can check for you at the very least.” 

Cloud nodded, he was afraid of the answer, but at least asking now wouldn’t get more people he’d grown up with snatched by Hojo’s people. He was finally in a position to know without the answer killing him. 

Squall’s heart beat was steady, his breathing was normal and Cloud found himself breathing along with every inhale and exhale. This Guide could get him to relax without even trying. 

“Would you mind waiting, just a little?” Squall asked, his smile growing. 

“Waiting?” 

“To bond,” Squall said, and Cloud felt his lungs squeeze. “I’d really like your ribs and other injuries to be healed first.” 

“You still want to bond with me? Even after…” He gestured to himself as if that held his meaning. He’d been captured and tortured. Some Sentinel and protector he was. 

“Yes,” Squall said firmly. “I suspect not everyone could have survived what you have. You’re incredible.” 

Cloud knew his face went scarlet when Squall raised their hands to kiss Cloud’s knuckles. 

“Stay?” Squall asked, still somehow giving Cloud the choice. The Guide had him melting, he didn’t think he could deny his savor anything. It was the first time he’d felt safe in what might have been years. 

“Yeah. I think I wanna stay with you.”

Chapter Text

8/13 - Day 4 - Free Day / Secret Admirer 

It began with a letter.

“What the hell is this?” Leon asked, picking up a yellow envelope with his name on the front of it in blocky letters. It was sealed with wax, the shape of a heart pressed into it but it had no return address. 

“It showed up this afternoon,” Aerith said with a shrug while she laid out blue prints for a park that would be built soon onto a nearby work table. The Restoration Committee had many projects going at the same time but the outside hubs that would likely be centered around a garden or two were her favorites to work on. 

With the town square mostly complete and the fountains up and working again, the park for the kids had become her newest passion project. 

“Why would I get mail here?” he wondered aloud. 

Aerith glanced up at him, “Guess they didn’t know your address? It probably makes sense to send it through the Restoration Committee if they wanted you to get it. What is it?” 

“Dunno,” Leon muttered, easily ripping into the envelope and pulling out a hand written note. 

Dear Leon,

You work so hard for us, like a prince among the common folk. I admire you greatly. I think I must admire you more than anyone else in Radiant Garden. You work so hard and I see your dedication to making our lives better. It makes my heart weak. I reach out for you, hoping someday you’ll notice me too. 

Love,

Your Secret Admirer 

Leon read it again and blinked without emotion. “What the hell is this?” he repeated, handing the letter over to Aerith. He watched her read, her expression immediately cracking up. 

“Oh! A secret admirer!” She was all giggles when she handed him the letter back. “Well someone out there is certainly bold.” 

He rolled his eyes and tossed the letter onto the table. “Sounds more like a stalker to me. What am I supposed to do with this?” 

She continued to laugh in his face. “I dunno.Throw it away? She didn’t give you a way to respond or anything. I don’t think there’s anything you can do with it.” 

“So what was the point?” Leon asked, utterly baffled by the effort put into contacting him. It wasn’t like he was hard to find and his address wasn’t a secret. Most people knew where the committee members lived in case there was an emergency. 

“Oh Leon,” Aerith said, still smiling but finally calming down from her laughter. “Some people just confess their feelings because they can. Not everyone’s emotional state is stunted.” 

He knew that was likely a jab at him, but he ignored it. 

“Sounds more like she’s holding out for certain expectations. It’s unrealistic. Especially if I don’t even know who she is.” 

Aerith just sighed softly and went back to writing small notes on the park’s blueprints. “Yeah, you may as well have forever single stamped on your forehead for all you notice people romantically. You may not need to hunt down this secret admirer to lavish with attention but you must have someone you have your eye on, at least a little?” 

“Not really,” he muttered. “I have enough to do everyday.” 

Aerith just hummed. “Shame. I hope you don’t miss out on something special with a stubborn frame of mind like that.” 

“Don’t worry about it?” he suggested, though it was always hard to tell with her. She meant well, but he didn’t need anyone looking into his romantic life or lack there of. 

~

He’d thought one mystery envelope was more than enough but coming into the Restoration Committee’s headquarters the following morning was chaos. Aerith and Yuffie were both scrambling in the kitchen while Cloud stood coughing painfully. 

“What the hell is going on?” Leon asked, rushing in and slapping Cloud on his back when he sounded like he was choking for a second. His eyes were watering and his cheeks were flushed from whatever attack he was having. 

Cloud coughed again, looking like he was having trouble breathing. “Smells so strong,” He managed to choke out. 

“What does?” Leon asked, stepping out of the way when Aerith brought Cloud a glass of water and a fresh wash cloth to hold over his face. 

“Another letter came,” Aerith glanced back at him, her brows pinched with worry over Cloud’s strong reaction. 

It took Leon a second to even understand what she meant by that. “Another secret admirer letter? Did it try to kill him or something?” 

Cloud tried to clear his throat but just ended up coughing again. 

“It is kinda stinky, but I forgot how enhanced Cloud’s senses are,” Yuffie said. She held up a plastic baggie with the letter inside. “It was doused in perfume.” 

“Perfume?” Leon frowned, walking over to her to get a look for himself. 

“Yeah, it’s a normal thing with these kinds of letters,” Aerith explained, patting Cloud’s arm. “Sprayed with perfume or signed with a lipstick kiss. It’s supposed to be cute.” 

“Or a clue!” Yuffie added helpfully. “You know like, it smells like citrus or something and you know that one girl who favors that scent or something.” 

Leon just stared at her, “Or something.” He flipped over the baggie to get a look at it and found that the envelope was not only opened, but it was addressed to Cloud. Just like his letter the day before, it had been sent here instead of to his apartment. 

Unlike his, it was written in a fancy, loopy script that was almost difficult to read and now that he was holding it, he could smell the lingering flowery aroma that was definitely overpowering. 

Cloud, 

You are a walking dream, a splendor to my eyes, a balm to my very soul. I see you and I tremble, you pass me by and I could faint. It is you I yearn to be close to, to touch softly with my own hands. Your very existence fulfills something in my being, my heart beats just to see you again. You are the only peace I've ever known. 

Your Well Wisher.

It was so different from the letter he’d gotten but it had made about as much sense. Whoever it was clearly didn’t know Cloud well or they’d have known how incredible his senses were. What was the point of being so forward with someone you didn’t even know? 

“That was awful,” Cloud muttered, sipping the water while holding the washcloth over his nose. It wasn’t surprising that he could still smell traces of it. “Went straight to my brain. I’ve been attacked with magic less effective than that.” 

Leon chuckled, “It does seem to be a weird growing pattern. I got something like this yesterday and now you?” 

“Ooh, I wonder if we have a couple ladies around town trying to mark a little territory,” Yuffie grinned. 

“Not exactly endearing,” Cloud muttered, wiping his eyes dry. “Who would write to me?” 

“Anyone that thinks you're handsome?” Aerith offered. “Or pretty. Whatever.” 

Cloud gave her the driest look and Leon couldn’t help but crack a smile. “Either way, I say the best way to get rid of a bad smell is to burn this thing. You didn’t want it, did you?” 

Cloud shook his head. 

“Awe Cloud. You’re not even a little interested?” Yuffie asked. 

“Not even a little,” Cloud confirmed, coughing again and Leon nearly winced at how raw his throat sounded. 

“C’mon, let’s go get you some fresh air,” Leon said, tossing the bagged letter back to Yuffie. “Get rid of that, will you?

“Yeah, yeah.” 

Cloud trailed after Leon, but didn’t take a deep breath until they got outside again. “Fuck, that made my head hurt.” 

Leon could only sympathize. His letter had been tame in comparison. “Let’s walk around for a minute, you can always head home to rest if you can’t shake it.” 

“I have patrol.” 

“The heartless have tapered off. We can manage if you need the rest.” 

Cloud shook his head. “I’ll be alright in a little while. I’ll bother you while you work until then.” 

“Who am I to say no to an extra pair of hands,” Leon said, nudging Cloud once as they headed off into town. 

~

Leon hit the Committee house one more time before going home. He’d spent the last two hours with Radiant Garden’s building teams and they had marked off a brand new street that would be where a new school would be built. With all the newcomers flocking to Radiant Garden after some of the worlds had reappeared, they wanted to be ready to accommodate a jump in the population. 

His plans were to drop off the newest plans and head to the market to pick up a few things for dinner. It was moments like that where he missed Aerith and Yuffie being around to take turns with him when it came to cooking for the night. His own apartment however wouldn’t be traded for anything. 

“You two still here?” Leon asked when he found Cid and Cloud loitering. Both were the type of men to get lost in their projects and once they were off for the day, they rarely came back a second time. 

“Needed to have a word with Merlin,” Cid said, playing with an unlit cigarette. “Then I thought I'd get a glimpse of this mess the girls were talking about.” 

“What mess?” Leon asked. 

“You got another letter,” Cloud said, looking annoyed with the mere idea of it but after his own letter had nearly choked him to death, Leon thought he had the right idea. “This time it came with a box.”

His scowl deepened so quickly it had Cid snickering. “Why?” 

Cloud shrugged, looking downright confused, “Aerith said it's not surprising. It’s a secret admirer thing.” 

“Don’t leave us in suspense. Open the damn thing,” Cid said, gesturing with his cigarette to where the box sat with a letter resting on top of it. It was addressed to him with the same blocky lettering. 

“I don’t want to…” 

“Awe, suck it up and see what it is,” Cid said. “Someone put effort into this. Probably.” 

With a sigh, Leon reached for the letter first, noticing how Cloud was already leaning away from him as if expecting the same perfume attack from before. 

Dear Leon,

I admire your strength and your conviction. You are not just a prince but a knight that protects us. I see you do thankless work day in and day out and wish more praise was given to you for your ethics. If you were ever to notice me, I wouldn't mind being your spoils of war. I would see to it that you were appreciated. 

Love, 

Your Secret Admirer. 

“This is a stalker,” Leon said slowly, not sure where the line was drawn in the sand on a matter like this. He’d have to ask Aerith later, assuming she’d agree. 

Cid chuckled, “Who knows. Maybe. At least they’re probably harmless.” 

“Probably?” Leon was far from impressed. The only reason he wanted to know who this person was, was to ask them to stop. 

“Could be worse?” Cloud offered. “At least they’re respecting your home.” It was a small mercy as far as Leon was concerned. 

He stared at the box apprehensively, not sure what it was but knowing already he wasn’t going to like it. Throwing it away unopened crossed his mind but both Cid and Cloud sat there waiting. With a put upon sigh, he tore the brown paper off the box and opened the lid as if something would jump out of it. Instead it held a bottle that Leon pulled free, unable to read the marking on the label. 

“What is this?” He held it up to the light only to note how thick the liquid inside was. Maybe he just wasn’t one for surprises. He set the bottle down, letting Cloud take it while he checked the packaging and sure enough, he found a small slip of paper that said ‘For your sword’s maintenance’. 

“Oh, it’s mineral oil?” Leon asked, caught somewhere between surprise and caution. That was fairly thoughtful, and potentially expensive. 

Cloud clucked his tongue, and Leon knew that noise. He was unimpressed. “Trash it,” He said, setting the bottle back on the table and screwing the cap back on. 

“Eh, that’s a little harsh innit?” Cid asked. 

“It’s cooking oil,” Cloud deadpanned. “Not for maintenance of anything. It would fuck up the metal.” 

“What?” Leon couldn’t hardly believe what he was hearing. “You’re sure?” 

“Smell it.” 

Far be it from him to question Cloud’s enhanced sense of smell but he took the bottle anyway to give it a sniff and sure enough…. 

“Are you serious?!” Cid started laughing. “What the fuck! That’s amazing!” 

Cloud rolled his eyes, taking the bottle from Leon again and doing him a favor by chucking it into the trash can. “It’s stupid.” 

“Are we being pranked?” Leon asked. “They tried to take you out with perfume and now they’re targeting my gunblade?” 

“You’d have noticed before a drop of it touched your sword,” Cloud said in a soothing tone. “It’s either a prank or they’re just totally inexperienced in weaponry.” 

Cid was only getting louder, his laughter not surprising either of them. “What a disaster! They sent olive oil as a love token!” 

“Hopefully this ends soon,” Leon said, tossing the letter into the trash after the bottle. “I don’t need this kind of thing. I need to get to the market if I want to eat tonight. I don’t have time for this.” 

“You could have kept the oil,” Cid’s shoulders were still shaking, laughter in his voice. “You could have used it for some pasta or something.” Leon refused to even humor that idea, even if it was out of spite only. 

Cloud just grunted and nodded to the door. “I have to go too. My pantry’s empty.” 

“I forget you cook,” Leon grumbled, deciding it was better to leave Cid alone. He was just going to be poking fun at him over this for the next week. “What are you making tonight? I’m getting tired of the same five meals.” 

“I meal prep so I’m only cooking like once a week. I’ll probably make a shepherd's pie or something.” 

“Yeah? What would I have to buy for it?” Leon asked, the two of them leaving Merlin’s house and Cid’s cackles behind. 

“I’ll show you.” 

~

Leon sat across from Cloud in the office that was just a room away from Tron’s security room. It was a quiet place to work, away from the noise of the town where they could actually get something done.

Few people had the clearance to be in the castle, which was part of the location's appeal. Together they had been drafting a set of emergency response plans that would later be finalized and added to Tron’s defense system. Both of them had a wild array of knowledge when it came to security for a variety of reasons. 

“Any other thoughts?” Leon asked, rubbing at his eyes. They’d need a break after this. He’d probably even invite Cloud out to lunch to keep him from disappearing for the rest of the day. 

Cloud grunted, “Hard to say, I'm usually the one breaking into places but I can admit that Tron’s pretty sophisticated.” 

It forced a chuckle past Leon’s lips, “If it were just the castle we were protecting, that would be one thing. We need this to work for the entire town.” 

“Which might be easier if Radiant garden wasn’t growing a little more every day,” Cloud added. “If this keeps up, we're going to end up as big as San Fransokyo.” 

Leon agreed, though the thought made him cringe. He really had no desire to live in a place like that but Cloud seemed desensitized to the idea. Even without meaning to, he still compared places to Midgar which no longer existed. “Which would either be a good or bad thing when it came to the heartless that still like to creep around the Great Maw.”

“Mhmm,” Cloud sighed. “That’s a problem for future us. Right now we just need to make sure it’s easy to understand and easy to implement.” 

“Citizens getting to their houses or designated safe zones. Anyone with fighting ability deployed.” 

“So the Restoration Committee,” Cloud deadpanned, not having much faith in anyone else. There were members of the Old Radiant Garden’s town guard returning and inquiring about those jobs again but that would be Ansem the Wise’s circus to untangle, not theirs. They had enough work to do. 

“Yeah. Sounds about right,” Leon muttered hoping his migraine held off until that evening. He and Cloud had gotten a lot done but they didn’t want anything slipping through the cracks. “Alright, why don’t we-,”

The door popped open, a short brunette poking his head in. “Cloud? Leon? Ah! Found you!” Sora beamed, pushing the door the rest of the way open and letting himself in. The kid didn’t exactly have clearance to be in here either but that had never stopped him before and Leon was never going to push the kid aside. 

“Hey Sora. Back for a visit?” Leon asked. 

“Uh huh,” Sora shut the door behind him. “Why are you two so hard to find? I thought I'd finally ask Tron to see if he knew and here you are.”  

“Cid should have known,” Cloud said, but he put on a small smile for Sora anyway. “Nice to see you taking a break.” 

Sora shrugged and smiled and both of them saw the way he was still coping with the misadventure he was caught in. “I like visiting you guys. Plus I get to restock and let Cid look at my ship.” 

Leon sighed, knowing all too well that he was just like Sora at his age when it came to over working himself. He probably wasn’t any better now. “We should really commandeer your gummiship and make you stay for a week to make sure you’re sleeping. Was there a reason you were looking for us or were you just wanting to explore?” 

“Oh!” Sora started digging through his pockets. “Aerith sent  me on an errand. Apparently Cloud got mail.” 

Cloud was already groaning before Sora had even finished speaking. “No.” 

“No?” Sora blinked, pulling out a letter and a small box. “It’s got your name on it.” 

“That’s what I was afraid of,” Cloud grumbled. 

Sora set the mail down on the desk and raised a brow at Leon as if that would give him answers. 

“Mail has been difficult lately,” Leon made a face at the whole situation. “You may as well get it over with so you can throw whatever it is away.”

“Dang, really?” Sora asked. “Just like that?” 

“No way,” Cloud said immediately. “I’m not going to be suffocated again. I had the worst headache that night.” 

“I know,” Leon’s tone was laced with sympathy. The perfume smell had messed with Cloud for hours. Instead of arguing, he reached for the letter and when Cloud didn’t object, he opened it. It was the same curly writing that seemed straight out of the history books. He couldn’t imagine anyone taking the time to write like this anymore. 

Cloud

My breath is stolen every time I look upon you. You must fly for all you are able to glide amongst us. I can not look away. I can’t help but acknowledge that you must have been sculpted by the gods themselves. You are a gift I hold tight to my chest. You are our wild protector. If only you would devour me, I could die happy. 

Your Well Wisher 

“Wow,” Leon blinked. “That was a lot I don't know what to do with. At least it doesn’t stink of perfume this time.”  

“Trash it,” Cloud shrugged. 

Sora looked between them, his expression confused. “What even was that? Was that flattering or scary?” 

“Scary,” Cloud said. 

“Eh…” Leon shrugged. “Some of both just… It’s some sort of secret admirer thing. Cloud and I clearly don’t understand it but Aerith and Yuffie seem to think it’s normal.” 

“Oh,” Sora crossed his arms and leaned against the desk. “When I went to school, girls would write boys notes sometimes. Like asking if they wanted to hold hands on the beach or something. Is this like that?” 

“Sounds like a version of it, yeah,” Leon said, glancing at the letter again. “A creepy adult version that sounds like stalking but what do I know?” 

“I don’t need to be told I glide or whatever,” Cloud muttered. “It’s just weird.” 

“It’s wrong anyway, you swish,” Leon said, smiling when Cloud raised his middle finger. “You gonna open the box?” 

“No.” 

“Can I?” Sora asked, not bothering to conceal his curiosity. 

Cloud gestured at the box, “Go nuts.” 

With a snicker, Sora tore into the box and removed the paper acting as cushion before making a noise that might have been impressed. “Oh, cool. Look.” He pulled out a gold pin of a fox in mid sprint. 

“Gold?” Leon stared. He could hardly imagine Cloud in gold when everything he owned was silver. It was some kind of old Nibel story that said silver kept evil spirits away. 

“A fox?” Cloud said, leaning forward just enough to look. “Do they think Fenrir is a fox? Absolutely not.” 

Leon grunted, “Maybe they’ve never been close enough to you to be sure.” The wolf on his pauldron was not subtle and he didn’t see how it could be mistaken for anything else. It was just one of those facts. Leon was associated with lions and Cloud was associated with wolves. The pin was odd. 

“Aw, don’t be too harsh,” Sora laughed. “It’s really nice.” 

Cloud reached out to ruffle Sora’s hair. “Then honor me by keeping it so I don't have to.” 

Sora’s brows rose in surprise. “What? Really? But someone gave it to you.” 

“And I am regifting it. It’s yours. Thank you,” Cloud said, going as far as to take it from Sora and pinning it to the shoulder of his hoodie. “There. Looks great.” 

Leon had to hide his smile behind his hand while Sora sputtered shyly. For all Cloud teased, it did look nice on Sora. “A fox suits you more than Cloud anyway.” 

“Yeah?” Sora asked flustered. 

“Yeah,” Cloud repeated, tossing the letter in a nearby trashcan. 

Leon stood up, cracking his back in the process. “C’mon, let’s show it off. I’ll take you both to lunch.” 

“Oh?” Cloud smiled. 

“Yes!” Sora grinned, easily distracted. “I’m so hungry!” 

“Perfect,” Leon said walking out with the two of them. It was an odd relief that Sora had been there to take the gift. What would Cloud have done with something like that if he hadn’t? Whoever this person was, they didn’t know Cloud at all. 

~

“This is starting to get concerning…” Aerith commented.

“What is?” Leon asked, only half listening. He was standing at a white board they had set up in Merlin’s house that was mostly used to write out their patrol schedules. It was easy enough for each of them to pick what time of day they would make their rounds but having it listed somewhere helped keep them organized. 

This time however, Leon was trying to figure out who to shuffle around so he, Cloud, and Yuffie could spend an afternoon in the Coliseum that weekend. It had been a while since they’d gotten to blow off some steam and he thought they deserved it. 

“Mail,” Aerith said, waving a letter in her hand. “Just arrived.” 

Leon couldn’t help the disgusted noise he made. “In the words of Cloud, ‘Not interested’.” 

He didn’t expect Aerith to start giggling as if he’d made a great joke. “It’s nice you two are spending time together if nothing else. I wonder what the letter says this time.” 

“Open it, what do I care?” Leon said, sure the words would continue to come off as disingenuous. He wondered if there were secret admirer letters that came off as sincere. He’d like to read one just for the novelty of it. All of the letters he and Cloud had gotten had seemed off somehow. 

Maybe he was doing them a disservice by thinking of them as a stalker but nothing else about them seemed right. They were a lot of broad, airy statements and a forward overture. He wasn’t a poet, but nothing about those letters warmed him. 

“Eh, I would but this one isn’t for you,” Aerith said. “It’s another for Cloud.” 

That broke the pattern, but had there really been enough letters for a pattern? His usually came first but it wasn’t like the senders had synchronized. As far as he could tell they were from different people. The writing, the ink, and the paper were all different. The only coincidence was that they started arriving the same week. 

Leon clucked his tongue in irritation and reached his hand out for it anyway. “We know he’s not interested and he’s worried about another perfume bomb. May as well check it for him.” 

She raised a brow, but passed the envelope over. “Checking it for him, huh? You sure you aren't just curious?” 

“What’s to be curious about?” 

Aerith sighed and shook her head at him, “Boys. Honestly.” 

“Keep your cryptic complaining to yourself,” He muttered, tearing the letter open and unfolding the paper. The writing was still all curly and hard to read, but the words made him frown. 

Cloud

You are a force, Cloud Strife. As bright as the sun and as strong as the tide. As light as a breeze and as all consuming as the wind. You rage like a storm, while being as serene as the ocean. You are like every star in the sky, bright, enchanting, and far from reach. I see you in my dreams and I wake only to see you stroll before me. I miss your presence like you’ve been ripped away from me. I want to see you more. I will see you more. 

Come meet me at the Bailey this very day at noon. We’ll lay our feelings bare. 

Your Well Wisher. 

Leon’s frown pulled into a scowl, and he couldn’t help but feel this was some kind of scam. Was a meeting like this far too late, or presumptuously soon? It wasn’t like this person knew Cloud at all, but this felt pushy. 

Maybe he was reading too much into it. Maybe he was over reacting but the entire thing pissed him off. 

“Leon?” Aerith moved to stand beside him. 

He passed her the letter. “Where does someone get off trying to push their feelings onto him?” 

“Well,” Aerith read the letter. “When people are excited they have a bit of a one track mind. Maybe they realize that win, lose, or draw, they’re ready to confess their feelings face to face and let Cloud decide what to do.” 

“That’s inconsiderate as hell. Cloud isn’t a people person but he is a people pleaser just to avoid a bigger confrontation he doesn’t want to deal with,” Leon said, feeling more of a rant building in his chest. “It’s totally unfair to drop something like this on him. They don’t know him at all.” 

Aerith hummed, eyeing him for some reason. “It’s true, but that’s how some people meet and get to know each other. Few would know how to confess to him in his comfort zone.” 

“No, he’s got enough to deal with,” Leon grumbled, checking the time. It was possible Cloud wouldn’t even show up in time to read the letter and get to the Bailey on time, assuming he decided to go at all.

He had time though. There was nothing wrong with putting a stop to the mess, at least Cloud’s half of the mess. He didn’t like the attention anyway. 

“I’ll be back later,” he said. 

“What? Where are you going?” Aerith asked, realization hitting her a second later. “Leon. You are not going to the Bailey.” 

“Yes, I am.”

“Leon,” She complained. “This is about Cloud.” 

“I know, that’s why I'm going,” he said, grabbing his sword and hooking it to his belt before heading out the door. He could hear Aerith calling him back one more time but he ignored her. This was about Cloud and flowery letters were not the way to his heart. The attention was unwanted and Leon would make that clear. 

His walk to the Bailey was uneventful, but once he arrived, he couldn’t help but think how it was a strange place for a first meeting. It was Radiant Garden’s Stronghold against the heartless. A fortified wall to keep the rest of the town safe that served a handful of other purposes. 

They trained there often enough since it had the space for it, and the thick stone walls didn’t break easily. It offered them some privacy but it wasn’t an area the usual townsfolk were interested in. 

Maybe the secret admirer picked it because it was a place they frequented? Either way, Leon leaned against the wall overlooking the Great Maw and waited. 

Noon came and went, but Leon lingered anyway. He didn’t hear or see anyone arrive, but it was possible the person had simply seen that Cloud hadn’t arrived so they didn’t linger themselves. That, or they just hadn’t shown up which was one more game that ticked Leon off. Why invite someone out and then not show up? Why mess with someone like that? What if Cloud had cared? What if he had been waiting for this moment? Emotions were already messy on the best of days but this was beyond rude. 

“Squall, what the hell.” 

“Leon.” He corrected absently, turning to face Cloud when he approached. “What are you doing here?” 

“No, that’s my line,” Cloud said. “Aerith gave me the letter and told me where you’d gone. What were you thinking?” 

Leon shrugged, “That I'd solve a problem for you.” 

“A problem? Squall, I'm an adult, I have real problems, traumas, and issues and little notes aren’t on the ever growing list. Did you really scare someone off for me?” 

“No. No one showed up,” Leon said, hating that he sounded disappointed. 

“Even better,” Cloud rolled his eyes. “Listen, I know your heart is soft but-,” 

“What?”

“Your heart is soft,” Cloud repeated. “You like answers and closure and you don’t like people around you getting hurt. You’re looking for an ending to this letter thing, but I promise you, I'm content to ignore it. I’ve ignored way more pressing matters than a mystery letter.” 

“I don’t think that’s as comforting as you meant for it to be.” 

“My point,” Cloud interrupted him. “Is that I'm not interested in these letters or the sender. I don’t think you should be either.” 

Leon crossed his arms, “I’m not.” 

“You’re here.” 

“For you!” Leon said, absolutely frustrated. “Why should you have to deal with someone following your every move and waxing on at length about your eyes.” 

Cloud mirrors his stance, “Have you forgotten about your own letters? Why are you worried about mine but not yours?” 

“Who cares about mine?” 

“Maybe I do?” Cloud snapped. “Maybe the thought of you ending up with someone so poorly matched for you really fucking bothers me. Those letters read of someone obsessed, not someone that genuinely cares.” 

Leon scoffed, “I am not ending up with whoever wrote those letters.” 

“You never know with stupid things like this,” Cloud said, for a short moment, looking stressed out over the thought. “I don’t get…things like this. Overly complicated shows of affection or grand gestures. Things like this have always seemed like a lie to me and I don’t understand them.” 

“Cloud.” 

“I’m not good at connecting to others.” 

Leon stepped closer, “You connect just fine. You connect to me better than anyone else. I don’t understand the letters either. It’s always easier when people are more straightforward.” 

“Easier doesn’t happen as often as it should.” 

“No it doesn’t,” Leon muttered, not filling the short silence that grew between them. Their silences were always comfortable and even this one was no different. He didn’t like that this whole secret admirer business had gotten under Cloud’s skin. He didn’t like that it had escaped his notice either. 

“I hate that you’re getting these letters,” Cloud said, voice a touch monotone and quiet. 

“Why are you so worried about mine but not yours?” Leon asked, throwing Cloud’s own words back at him. 

Cloud rolled his eyes, attempting to reign in his own ruffled emotions. “Because I know how I feel about mine and I could care less.” 

That thought rolled around in his head and Leon found himself agreeing. He didn’t care about his own letters. He had no intention of responding to them but Cloud’s letters, that was different. Those letters he hated. They were annoying Cloud and they were a threat.

A threat to what remained a mystery. At least, that’s what he thought… 

“I get that,” Leon muttered. “Like someone will storm in and upset the balance in our friend group. I hate that.” He tried to be honest. “I hate the idea of someone hanging around you.” 

“You hang around me.” 

“That’s different.”

Cloud heaved a loud sigh, his nose going pink. “It’s fine if it’s you. I like spending time with you.” 

“Yeah well, me too,” Leon muttered, wishing his own heart beat wasn’t thudding so loudly in his ears all of a sudden. Reaching out, he hooked his fingers with Cloud’s, hoping that said what their words dance around. 

That pink to Cloud’s nose stretched across his cheeks, but he curled his fingers around Leon’s in turn. “Wouldn’t have to deal with secret admirers if there was someone less secret in my life,” he muttered, it was nearly a pout. 

“I think I could handle that,” Leon said, heat swelling in his chest. “Unless you're not interested.” 

Cloud’s grip tightened. “You know for once, I am interested.” 

Leon briefly felt like a little kid that couldn’t maintain eye contact. With a deep breath, he forced his eyes back to Cloud’s. “This is stupid and exhausting. Why don’t we take the day off and…figure this out.” 

“Sounds good…” Cloud’s lips twitched into a small smile. That real smile not everyone got to see. It was a look that gave Leon more butterflies than a hundred of those letters ever could. 

~ 

Aerith stood with Yuffie, watching Leon and Cloud from their hiding spot. “I think that went well.” Better than she’d been hoping even. 

Yuffie snickered, “Might not even need to send the next letter.” 

“We can hope,” Aerith laughed quietly, turning to leave with Yuffie beside her. The last thing they wanted was to get caught.

Chapter Text

8/14 - Day 5 - Theme Park / Fight Club 

They weren't known for being sentimental. For all Cloud and Squall had been dating for three years and were about to move in together, none of their immediate friends or family would call them romantic. 

They shared something special regardless, and had admitted to their feelings in private. That had been enough for both of them. Neither had needed to have a spotlight on their relationship and its milestones. It was just one more thing they agreed on. 

Cloud’s perspective was a little different from most. It was true, their relationship wasn’t poetic, but it was loving. Moments they shared together were meaningful and privately just for the two of them. Cloud was, however, mature enough to admit that if one of them could have been called romantic, it was Squall. 

He was the one that would show up in the evenings with food so neither of them had to cook. He was the one that either brought an extra jacket for Cloud when they were out, or took off his own to hand him when he inevitably got cold. Squall would randomly show up with flowers and toss them in a vase. They were never exactly handed to Cloud but who else would they be for when they sat on Cloud’s coffee table. 

They were little things, but they warmed Cloud to his bones. Small things that never failed to put a smile on his lips and remind him how lucky he was. It made him want to put in a little more effort into their easy relationship and their upcoming birthdays seemed like the perfect opportunity to give it a shot. 

Their birthday’s were two weeks apart, and they liked to celebrate them together, but that didn’t make planning something any easier on Cloud. At most they’d go to dinner or pretend doing errands together was more like an outing. They’d sleep in, snuggled together despite the summer heat. That’s what air conditioning was for. 

Squall had already leapt into their next step as a couple when he invited Cloud to move in with him and Cloud had accepted without a moment of thought. That kind of decision was easy, but making Squall’s birthday something sweetly memorable? That was hard. 

His answer had come to him by accident while he was packing up his belongings to be moved into Squall’s apartment. He found a box of keepsakes in his closet, the kind he hadn’t gone through since the box had first been packed. Inside were dozens of pictures that he flipped through with a small, nostalgic smile. 

One picture made him pause and get up from his spot on the floor to hold the picture under better light and get a good look. It had been taken when he was only three or four years old at the Queen’s Gambit theme park. He liked to think he remembered that day but he only remembered flashes of holding his mom’s hand in the crowd and holding a little stuffed chocobo he’d won playing a baby ring toss game. In the picture he was riding a Spirit carousel, seated on a brightly colored wooden horse. The horse was white with a blond mane and the saddle was at least six different colors that were faded in the picture. 

His mom stood beside him, her hand on his back to help balance him as the ride went in circles. The huge smile on his face told him just how good a time he was having. 

That wasn’t what caught his attention though. Two horses away, seated in front of him was another kid with his mom, but the woman was strikingly familiar. She looked just like Squall’s mom, Raine. Cloud sat stupified for the better part of twenty minutes, wondering if that cute little boy could really be Squall. He had shaggy brown hair and was mid laugh in the picture but it was hard to tell. 

Deciding to do a little detective work, he went to the source. He rarely had a reason to text Squall’s parents but he did have their numbers. He sent the picture to Raine and asked if that was her and Squall and her response had been immediate. She remembered the exact day it had to be, a trip for Squall’s birthday. Raine had called him within seconds to talk once she realized Cloud and Claudia were also in the picture. 

It was a ridiculous reaction, but Cloud grinned at the photo. Those little boys had no idea just how close they were to the person they would one day love most. 

The idea formed as he set the photo aside to remember to frame later. A little birthday recreation with a bit of help was exactly what he needed. He recruited Squall’s sister Ellone and his little brother Prompto and explained the picture and what he wanted.

They’d get together a small group of their friends for a trip to the very same theme park, and Prompto would issue them the invitation because there was no way Squall would believe it was Cloud’s idea. It would be to celebrate their birthday, but it was the picture Cloud was after. 

The idea was sound, but when that Saturday finally rolled around, Cloud was forced to admit to himself that going to a theme park in the height of summer hadn’t been the brightest idea he’d ever had. 

“So how did Prompto talk you into this?” Squall asked, fingers loosely holding onto Cloud’s while they waited for everyone else to enter the park. They were dressed casually and comfortably to battle the heat but Cloud always ended up curled up against Squall’s side anyway.

“He’d already bought the tickets,” Cloud said, hoping it didn’t sound rehearsed since he was the one to buy the tickets for himself, Squall, and his younger brother who he was throwing under the bus for this. 

Squall just hummed a response but he didn’t sound suspicious. “Should have brought a hat, you’re gonna burn.” 

“Chances are good someone brought sunscreen.” 

“But that someone wasn’t you.” 

“It was not,” Cloud offered him a grin. 

Squall’s lips curled in amusement and he bent just enough to playfully bump his head against Cloud’s. It was the little gestures that sometimes meant more than a kiss. 

“Alright! Let’s eat!” Zell cheered suddenly, having finally made it into the park. 

“What? No way,” Selphie said immediately on his heels. “Rides first, then we can eat. We are not hitting the roller coaster on a full stomach. Especially you.” 

“What do you mean especially ?” Zell pouted. 

“Are we sticking together?” Noctis asked. “There’s so many sections.”

Prompto was nodding. “I mean, at least mostly right? Hard to call this a birthday trip if we just bail on the birthday boys.” 

“Speaking of,” Ellone said, tossing Aerith her phone and grabbing both Cloud and Squall. “Birthday picture with your sister.” 

“Sis…” 

“You’re not my sister, Ellone,” Cloud said. 

“Someday, Strife. Someday.” She said pleasantly, smiling when Aerith held her phone up. Cloud and Squall both had the decency to at least look in her direction and put on a small smile. Ellone would have made them take it over again if they didn’t. 

“It’s perfect!” Aerith called. “I think we should get away from the entrance though. Then we can figure out where we’re going first.” 

“If we hit the water rides, it’ll cool us down,” Zell said, checking out a map of the park. “It’s hot enough we’ll dry out fairly quickly anyway.” 

“Oh, Mermaid’s grotto? The Costa del Sol water park? Atlantica Falls! We should do Atlantica Falls!” Selphie said, pointing at the map. “We should do all the roller coasters!” 

“I think I'll pass on all of them,” Ellone mused. “I have one roller coaster ride in me today.” 

“If you’re only doing one then it’s gotta be Heartless Mountain,” Noctis grinned. 

Prompto was already going pale at the thought. “I was thinking more like the Gummi Coaster.” Ellone pointed at him in agreement. 

“What do you think, Cloud? Squall?” 

Cloud rolled his eyes, “I can do roller coasters but I'm never doing the swings again. Nearly barfed last time you made me get on that thing.” 

“I remember, I carried you around on my back for the rest of the day,” Squall snorted. Cloud gave him a withering look but it was something they could joke about now. He remembered how worried Squall had been that day. 

“Monstro Madness!” 

Cloud whipped around at the new voice, surprised to see Zack approaching them with a grin. 

“I thought you couldn’t make it.” 

“I made it work!” Zack grinned, pulling Cloud into a hug. “Happy birthday!” 

“Alright, alright, thank you.” Cloud struggled to get free but didn’t manage it until Zack let go.

“Happy birthday, Squall,” Zack continued. 

Squall snorted, a hand steadying Cloud when he jerked backwards. “Thanks.” 

Only a second later Zack was completely distracted by Aerith grabbing him for her own hug. “You were late!” 

“I know, I know. I managed. Are we still talking roller coasters because Monstro Madness is a must.” 

“There’s the game area too,” Prompto said in a small attempt to redirect the conversation. He and Cloud had similar problems when it came to motion sickness. “And plenty of shops and places to eat.” 

“Yes! We’re going to one of the restaurants,” Zell agreed. “Real food, not just the stalls and stuff.” 

“Alright!” Ellone agreed. “Rides first, then food.” 

“We can take the rails! Zigzagging won’t be a problem,” Aerith added as the group started moving again. The no food rule was broken in the first five minutes when Zell and Noctis ran to get pretzels and Aerith had to talk Zack out of immediately going to one of the gift shops. 

“We should pick something and get in line before the lines get bad,” Squall added, and since all of them were so aimless, he’d guided them right to their first roller coaster, Triple Triad. Everyone had gotten on except Ellone and Prompto and Cloud was positive the entire ride he couldn’t hear anything but Zack screaming. 

Cloud was normally one of the people who got motion sick easily and there were many rides that would trigger a queasy stomach. For whatever reasons, roller coasters didn’t and he’d enjoy that for as long as possible. 

Sure his legs were shaky by the time he got off of it but it was just one more excuse to cling to Squall. “You’re like a baby deer.” 

“Shut up,” Cloud chuckled, leaning on his boyfriend and brushing a sweat soaked strand of hair out of his face. “It’s hot. You think the water area is packed?” 

“No more than everywhere else,” Squall said. “Atlantica Falls? Or do you want to do the silly mermaid boat ride?” There was a small tease to his voice but Cloud didn’t take the bait. 

“Both,” Cloud said, sticking his tongue out at Squall. It wasn’t a very well kept secret that Cloud liked mermaids but Squall would tease anyway. 

They rode three more rollercoasters, and Zack and Aerith got on one of the sling shot rides. Prompto and Ellone braved the Gummi coaster and the slides in the water park had left all of them at least partially soaked. 

For at least half an hour they loitered around the end of the water rides just to get splashed by water as they passed. It was a simple way to stay cool in the heat. Zell had been right though, and all of them were nearly dry by the time they’d taken a break to get something to eat. A laugh had been pulled from Squall when they picked a pirate themed restaurant and Prompto spent more time taking pictures than eating. 

The traitor for the day ended up being Selphie who told the waiter they were there for a double birthday and a large ice cream sundae had been brought out for the table. It had only cost Cloud and Squall some embarrassment but everyone else had been thrilled. 

“Bathroom break and then some games?” Zack offered, doing a small hop like a little kid who had to pee. 

“Yeah, I’ll go too.” Selphie said, wandering away with Zack, Zell, Noctis and Squall. Everyone else managed to snag a free bench while waiting for them and Aerith and Ellone had no problem nearly sitting on Cloud and Prompto to make sure there was room for all of them. 

“This is going well,” Aerith mused, fanning herself. 

“It is!” Ellone said, turning to look at Cloud. “Do you have the picture with you? The old one?” 

“Yeah?” 

“Can I see it?” she asked.

With a glance, making sure Squall was actually out of sight, Cloud dug deep into his pocket for the picture he’d brought along with him. It was so Prompto would have a reference to match up the recreation as best he could. “Here.” 

Ellone cooed immediately and Aerith leaned closer to look too. “You guys were adorable!” 

“Awe, I hope you frame it.” 

Prompto chuckled, “The side by side will look nice. Almost can’t believe you thought of it by yourself.” 

“Thanks,” Cloud deadpanned, giving his brother a look before shifting his attention back to Ellone again. “You think he’ll like it?” 

“Oh absolutely,” She nodded. “You know, I remember this day. Dad and I were getting ice cream while mom took Squall on the carousel. It's all he wanted to do. This is really the cutest thing ever.”

The reassurance eased a knot in his chest he didn’t know was there. “Now we just gotta hope we can get him on it again this time.” 

“We’ll get him on, don’t worry,” Aerith promised. “You just gotta hold his hand and not let go and he’ll follow you onto it.”

Ellone was already nodding her agreement as she handed the picture to Prompto for safe keeping. “You want it to look as close as possible?” 

“Yeah. Without being suspicious.” 

“Could be something you guys do every couple of anniversaries,” Prompto said. “That’s cute.” 

“Very,” both girls were in agreement at least. It was good for his nerves. Cloud wasn’t good at the planned out thoughtful gifts that some people managed so effortlessly. Ellone and Aerith’s stamp of approval took off some of the stress he was feeling. 

For a while longer, they sat and people watched, Prompto getting up to buy a slushie despite the fact they’d all just had ice cream. There were many groups with children but there were just as many groups like theirs. Cloud half wondered how long it would be until one of his friends had a kid and they ended up being one of the groups carrying around a toddler. 

“Have they been gone a long time?” Cloud asked, wondering if there were lines even in the bathroom. There probably were. 

“Yeah, I'm starting to wonder about that too,” Aerith mused, pulling out her phone to check for messages. 

Prompto groaned, “Twenty gil says they wandered off and all think someone else in their group texted us.” 

“Thats a little too believable,” Ellone muttered

Cloud shook his head, “I’d like to think Squall would realize I’m not standing behind him.” 

“Awe, honey. I’d like to think that about Zack too but sometime baby boy has the attention span of a cactaur,” Aerith snickered. 

The words had barely left her mouth when they spotted Noctis jogging towards them. 

“You guys get lost?” Prompto asked. 

“Okay, so here’s what happened,” Noctis said immediately, not commenting on the near identical look of disbelief on all four of their faces. 

“Go on,” Ellone encouraged. 

“So,” Noctis looked sheepish. “On the way back there was an ax throwing game and it weirdly had no line so Zack and Zell jumped on it to see who was the better ax wielder. They went like three rounds to break the tie. They got certificates. Anyway, Selphie and I thought Squall was watching with us until we realized he was gone. We found him a few booths over playing a shooting game and he’s grumbling about it being rigged because the aim is off and he said he was going to keep playing until he figured out the angle on it.” 

“Shiva’s tits,” Cloud sighed. “What idiot put a gun in his hands. Even a toy gun.” 

Noctis shrugged, “You’re his chaperone, man.” 

“So let me guess. The other three are just watching him shoot now?” Aerith asked. 

“Yep.” 

“Alright then,” Prompto said. “Let’s go see.” 

It wasn’t like they weren't going to go look at the games anyway but they could have texted. Cloud and Prompto would have smoked them at an ax throwing game. 

They moved through the crowd and it was quite clear which games were safe for children and which likely had an age limit tacked on. Cloud had nearly resigned himself to watching Squall shoot for the next hour when there was a cheer that was unmistakably Zack, Zell and even Selphie cheering as loud as possible. 

“I’d say he won,” Ellone mused, sharing a look with Cloud. 

“Or he broke the gun,” Cloud said, but when their two groups finally merged into one, Cloud’s jaw dropped. “What the fuck…” 

In Squall’s arms was a giant plushie of a golden chocobo. It was the kind of prize that sat on a high shelf because no one ever really won something like that. It sported a limited edition tag and was nearly as big as Selphie. 

“Ohh, Squall!” Aerith was already laughing. 

“Can you believe this guy!?” Zack echoed her laughter. 

“Here,” Squall tossed the giant plush into Cloud’s arms. “Happy Birthday.” 

Cloud held into the plush, looking at it in fascination. “How much gil did you spend on that game?” 

“Not as much as I thought I might need to,” Squall said, looking smug. 

“Holy fuck,” Noctis and Prompto were both laughing. 

Zell looked as pleased as if he’d been the one to win it. “You should have seen it. He got better every round and you could just see the guy in the booth sweating and getting more and more nervous as Squall got better. It was so funny.” 

Cloud just grunted and rearranged the plushie so he could hold it under one arm. Was it going to be a pain in the ass to walk around with? Yes. Did he want it? Hell yes. “Thank you.” 

Squall turned his head to press a kiss to Cloud’s temple while Zack shook his head in amusement, “I thought for sure you’d be pouting. You hate chocobo comparisons.” 

“Who made a comparison?” Cloud raised a brow. 

Prompto nodded along. “You know he loves a golden ‘bo.” 

“I still thought he’d put up a token fight,” Zack grinned. 

“A prize like that is a commitment,” Selphie said, smirking behind her hand.

“An easy one,” Cloud shrugged. “This is our son now. His name is Gale.” The declaration alone had the group laughing anew, Ellone announcing the name was perfect.

Squall raised a brow at Cloud’s silliness but it didn’t take away the smirk on his lips. “Gale, huh?” 

“You don’t like it?” 

“I didn’t say that.” 

“Alright, no one is topping that, but let’s see what else we can win. There is always the gift shop if the rest of us fail,” Noctis said with a plan clearly already in mind. 

They set off again towards the games but Cloud was already very happy with his prize. Squall was probably just smug he got over on the rigged game. 

“You like it?” Squall asked in a murmur. 

Cloud just smiled, feeling the heat creep up his neck, “You know I do.” That was all that was needed to keep a pleased smile back onto Squall’s face. Did the giant plush get some looks, yes, but that was fine. 

Zack and Zell showed off their ax throwing certificates with laughter and it wasn’t long before they each took on a game of their own. All of them got a chance to hold Gale when Cloud moved to play something too. 

Everyone ended up with something little but the general consensus agreed with Noctis. They’d buy their own souvenirs in the shops later. It wasn’t until Cloud was starting to feel a little too warm that they decided to head to a new section of the park again. Hopefully it would be a part of the park that had more shade since he never did put on any sunscreen. 

“Hey,” Cloud paused, grabbing Squall by his bicep. Excitement started to build in his chest when he finally saw what he’d come here for. “I want to ride the carousel.” The Spirit carousel looked like it had been upgraded a little since the picture had been taken decades earlier but he recognized it the second he saw it.

Squall raised a brow. “What? Really?” 

“Me too.” Noctis said immediately, and Cloud had a sneaking suspicion that Prompto had told him why they were here.

Ellone had already turned in the direction of the music. Even the tune was nostalgic though Cloud couldn’t place it. “Oh! It was one of my favorites when I was a kid. Let’s go,” she said.  

“I’m down,” Zack beamed. As fast as he could, he’d bent down to pick up Aerith by her thighs to hold her and took off in a sprint towards the carousel so everyone else would have to follow. Aerith laughed the whole way, her demands to be put down weak at best. 

“Think you can handle it, Zell?” Selphie teased. 

Zell scoffed, “I’m not a little kid.” 

“But you ate like one today.” 

“I’ll be fine!” 

“What about you?” Cloud asked, squeezing Squall’s hand as they walked. “Come get on the ride with me.” 

“Well if you’ve already decided,” Squall said, but there was amusement in his voice. “It’s not a bad idea though. Sis is right, we used to love the carousel.” 

“It’s the gateway ride that gets you into all the other ones.” Cloud agreed, hiking Gale the golden chocobo a little higher under his arm. “Besides, our child shouldn’t be unattended.” 

“I’m going to regret winning that for you, aren’t I?” 

“If you don’t already then that’s on you,” Cloud said, unable to get the smile off his face. He loved the damn thing. He loved that Squall won it for him. He loved that they were moving in together and it was going to sit in their shared space forever because he was not going to get rid of it. 

“Fair,” Squall said, eyes soft and amused. “Is Gale old enough to ride the carousel?” 

“With parental supervision,” Cloud said, earning another huff of laughter from his boyfriend. 

The line was short, but it wasn’t one of the crazier rides so that wasn’t entirely unexpected. Everyone had decided to get on except for Prompto who had said he was thirsty and headed off to get water. He’d promised to get several waters for all of them. It was a believable reason, at least, Squall didn’t seem to think anything was off by it. 

“You think every carousel plays the same music?” Zell asked, hopping on a horse. 

“Funny you should ask!” Zack said. 

Each one of them roamed the carousel a little, picking the horse they wanted while staying mostly in a group. Ellone, being the sly sister she was, picked the horse beside Squall so he wouldn’t think it odd that Cloud grabbed the one behind him. They would match the picture better this way. 

Cloud hung Gale off the saddle so the chocobo would be in the picture too. 

“One of my friends used to work at this smaller theme park, right?” Zack continued. “And whenever the park was closed, he and his friend would go and swap the music so the carousel would blast The Gullwings. If you think this music is loud, you should hear it blaring Sphere Hunters.” 

It got a chorus of laughter, even from people who weren’t in their group but heard the loud story anyway. 

When the carousel started moving, most of them cheered like they were little kids. Cloud was surprised by the wave of nostalgia that hit him, and the memory from when he was a kid got a little clearer. 

It was Noctis who started humming the same Gullwings song from Zack’s story, and Selphie started singing the lyrics. It didn’t match the carousel music at all but one by one nearly all of them tossed in a lyric. Even Squall glanced back at Cloud with a grin that he returned. 

“It is better with this song!” Zell’s laughter was contagious. 

Noctis chuckled, the tune clearly stuck in his head now. “Tell it to management.” 

“Do another!” Aerith called out to them, but it ended up being Sphere Hunters again anyway. 

They went in circles over and over and for whatever reason, it felt like the ride lasted twice as long as all the others they’d been on that day. It was a gentle up and down that bred laughter over the bouncy waltz like music. 

They weren’t children, but for a second the world slowed down and they could have been again. Cloud wondered what it would have been like if he’d talked to Squall when they were three or four and on a carousel together for the first time. It would have likely been awkward or shy but it made Cloud smile anyway. Those kids didn’t know where they’d end up but it rang like fate anyway. On the last loop, Cloud spotted Prompto giving a thumbs up and the weight was off Cloud’s chest. Mission accomplished. 

It was a ridiculous desire but he wanted those two pictures framed side by side. The false beginning and the real beginning. Once they hit an impressive milestone of being together he’d get Squall to take another with him. 

When the ride stopped, nearly all of them stumbled a step or two, more dizzy than they realized. They climbed down, still singing the chorus of the same song over and over. Cloud was hugging Gale when Squall’s arms wrapped around his waist to steady him. 

“You good?” Squall asked. 

“Yeah, just finding my feet.” Cloud said, leaning into Squall’s side. “That was fun.” 

“Yeah. I saw Prompto taking pictures.” 

Cloud glanced up at him, “Yeah? He’s a photographer, so…” 

“You guys want some water?” Ellone called over to them since they were lagging behind. 

Squall nodded, “In a minute, yeah.” He stopped walking, keeping Cloud tucked against his side. “What are you up to, wolf?” 

“What do you mean?” 

“What do you mean?” Squall repeated, mocking his tone but when Cloud heard it back he heard his own bad acting. He pressed a kiss to Cloud’s forehead, “Out with it.” 

The face Cloud made at him told him it was nothing serious, but Squall was far from stupid, and he’d likely been picking up on weird moments all day. “It’s for your birthday.” 

“Today is for our birthday,” Squall countered. 

Cloud raised the arm that held Gale, “And I have been compensated.”  

“Mhm,” Squall smiled, holding onto the back of Cloud’s belt. “Don’t make me tickle you in public to get answers.” 

“You’re a monster,” he said immediately, but knew Squall was serious. “You can’t wait?” 

“I’ve been waiting all day.” 

That pulled a pout from Cloud. He really thought he’d been getting away with something just because Squall hadn’t seemed openly curious. There was no making that mistake again. 

With a small huff, Cloud called Prompto over to them. 

His younger brother seemed to know immediately they were busted and smiled sheepishly as he wandered towards them. Prompto dug into his pocket, pulling out the picture he’d been carrying to match the one he’d taken and handed it to Cloud. 

“Thanks Prompto,” Cloud said. 

Prompto just nodded, already stepping away again to give them a second of privacy. “Any time.” 

With Prompto a few paces away already, Cloud handed the photo over to Squall who seemed confused briefly. Cloud could see the exact moment Squall knew what he was looking at.

“I think…I remember this. Mom riding the carousel with me,” Squall turned his attention back to Cloud. “How’d you get this?” 

“It’s mine. My aunt took it,” Cloud smiled, feeling the blush rise on his cheeks. He tapped the picture. “That’s me.”

“What?” A small bubble of laughter escaped Squall as he stared at the picture. “Well, fuck. That is you. It’s both of us… We were on the same carousel what…nearly twenty years ago?” 

Cloud nodded. “Completely by chance. I double checked it was you with your mom and… I wanted a side by side to give you.” 

Squall’s face crumpled into one of the softest expressions Cloud had ever seen. “Thank you, Cloud. It’s perfect.” 

“We haven’t seen the picture Prompto took yet.”

“It’s perfect,” Squall repeated, cupping Cloud’s cheek and tilting his head for a kiss. They could vaguely hear Zack catcalling them but that was easily ignored.

When they did finally pull apart, it was Squall who slipped the picture into his own pocket this time. Cloud didn’t mind. 

“I got what I needed. Today was nice, minus the heat.” 

“Yeah, it was,” Squall said, maybe a little surprised himself. “Though we are still going to dinner. Something tells me we’re both gonna crash when we get home.” 

“As long as we put Gale to bed first.” 

Squall snorted. “You’re not putting that thing in our bed, Cloud.” 

“Watch me.” 

“Cloud.” 

Cloud just snickered, pulling Squall by the hand as they headed back towards the others. The day was far from over.

Chapter Text

8/15 - Day 6  Kidnapping / Age Regression 

Squall knew that if he clenched his teeth any harder, he was going to crack his jaw. His fangs were already pressing against the inside of his lips but he couldn’t afford even a partial transformation at the moment. He needed to focus on not crashing his car while vaguely listening to the directions his GPS was spouting. 

He was furious, but taking those emotions into battle with him would be a liability when he had so much on the line already. It had been sixteen hours since he was supposed to meet Cloud, and traffic had him arriving twenty minutes late. 

Cloud had wanted Squall to meet him at the animal shelter to meet a puppy he’d fallen in love with. The puppy’s picture was constantly on his phone and Cloud was practically checking its status update hourly to see if they had been adopted already. He’d been talking about it for two weeks and Squall had just made a face over the whole idea. He wasn’t a dog person. He was obviously a cat person and he thought Cloud obviously was too given their introverted personalities but Cloud had always been more than meets the eye. 

He’d caved and agreed to come pet the puppy as if that would change his whole outlook on dogs but Cloud hadn’t been there. According to the woman at the front desk Cloud had been there but had stepped outside again. Tifa had dropped him off so he didn’t have his car and Squall was going to drive them both home regardless. 

When Squall tried calling, the familiar ring tone drew his attention and in seconds he’d found Cloud’s phone left abandoned in the grass only fifteen feet from the shelter's entrance. Worry gnawed at him, and he called Tifa just to confirm she had dropped him off and when. He didn’t mean to worry her too but that had been set in motion already. 

He’d spent fifteen minutes riding up and down the street looking for Cloud before finally crumbling to his inner freak out and calling the police. They were no help. 

They didn’t want to hear about a missing person that had only been missing for an hour. He couldn’t even report it for a full twenty four hours which seemed like a massive waste of everyone’s time. 

Fortunately, Squall knew a slew of people that were capable of getting things done. His next call was to Chadley, explaining quickly that Cloud was missing and that he had his phone but no other clues. Chadley, in his gloriously matter-of-fact way only asked for Cloud’s last known location. 

Logically, Squall knew he had no authority to walk into the animal shelter and ask them for their surveillance records to see what happened to his missing partner, but Chadley hadn’t bothered to ask. 

Squall however hated the slight shake to Chadley’s voice seven minutes later when he returned Squall’s call with the footage. “I got it. Someone took him.” 

It was a group of three men walking down the sidewalk. Cloud didn’t pay any attention to them as he looked down at his phone, mid text asking Squall for his newest ETA. A needle was smoothly jammed into the back of his neck and Cloud immediately went slack. His phone tumbled from his fingers while an arm went around his waist to better ‘walk’ him away towards a waiting vehicle. 

For one heart stopping moment Squall feared the worst. The only thing keeping him from raging across the city was time. They weren’t trying to kill him or they’d have done it right there. Drugging him meant they wanted to keep him, and as long as he was alive, Squall would find him with a little time. 

Chadley was running facial recognition while enhancing the licence plate number for Squall’s use. Another call was made, this time to Kunsel. He got the short version. Cloud was kidnapped. Find this car. Squall knew Kunsel was good, but damn if he didn’t find the car and everything related to its owner within the hour. 

The car was registered to a Greg Chully, known on the streets as ‘Scotch’. When Squall was done with him the only thing he was going to be known as was ‘Road kill’. Unfortunately, the news went from bad to worse. Scotch’s rap sheet was miles long from petty theft and forgery to car jacking and trafficking. 

The thought made Squall ill and he’d had to pace and prowl to keep his composure. Someone must have seen something if they knew to grab Cloud and the price he’d bring would depend on the buyer or how quickly Scotch needed to get rid of him. 

Hours passed, but between the combined collaboration of Chadley and Kunsel, three locations had been found where theoretically, merchandise could be kept. Tifa and Zell met him on the way, the pair scowling and out for blood. The first location had been a bust, but the second had led them right to Scotch and his boys counting out piles of gil like an old mafia movie. 

With Chadley now in charge of both their cameras and wifi, Squall didn’t bother to hide pieces of his transformation. His hair like a mane, his teeth sharp, Squall stomped into their pathetic hideout like he owned it and every screaming grunt was taken out by either Tifa or Zell. Neither had bothered to pull their punches and the crack of bones did well to betray how serious they were over their missing friend. 

Scotch had been easy to terrify, and had given up their boss who was supposedly on the floor above. It hadn’t stopped Squall from breaking five of his ribs and promising him he’d return for the slowest death possible if his mate had been harmed. 

The whole ordeal had taken too long but Squall found the boss, a toad of a man by the name of Corneo trying to flee. He hadn’t gotten far after Squall ripped the back tire off his car. Two shattered windows later, Corneo was on the damp ground outside his own hideout, Squall's boot pressed to his throat as he attempted to extract the location of his missing partner. 

There was a sick satisfaction in watching the toad turn blue while he sputtered platitudes and feigned ignorance. Squall had no sympathy to offer, especially not to a man like this. 

Zell had found a list of victims inside, each with a description, a date, a fee, and a buyer. Squall had thought the turn over rate had been too quick but they didn’t sell in groups. It seemed they specialized in selling their victims one at a time to be less conspicuous. Only one sale was made today. 

They were calling Cloud ‘gold’ which wasn’t entirely accurate, but the price for him had been even more offensive than he’d suspected. Tifa had even found Cloud’s clothes, shoes, and wallet in trash bags ready to be thrown in a dumpster. There was this annoying little voice in the back of Squall’s head that was relieved. Cloud would have been so irritated if he had to replace everything in his wallet. 

It was almost a relief to still be confident that Cloud was alright even after he’d been trafficked. The police had been called, this time by Chadley whose eerie cadence would shame the very same people who had ignored Squall before. He informed them of the trafficking ring operating right under their noses and had lists of victims to be found. 

Zell and Tifa stayed behind to wait for them, but Squall had been given an address that was only an hour and a half away and he wasted no more time. He couldn’t take the risk of them moving Cloud a second time and it was frankly a miracle that Kunsel had managed to dig up an address with nothing but a few numbers after money had been wired for the purchase. 

Squall’s head was killing him, but at least he knew it was the stress of the day. If Cloud was okay he was going immediately back to the animal shelter and getting him whatever puppy he wanted and hoped it overshadowed this entire miserable experience. As long as Cloud was okay… nothing else mattered. 

When he came across an atrociously large estate, Squall parked, making sure it was the right place before scaling the ten foot wrought iron gate with ease. He didn’t care about finesse or stealth, not when speed was more important. It didn’t matter who was home or who knew he was coming. If he needed to leave bodies in his wake, so be it. 

Coming up to the front door, Squall kicked the door knob, bending the metal and loosening the latch bolt until it popped open like it had never been locked. There was a soft, frantic beeping that a normal human probably couldn't hear but it only fueled more of Squall's growing ire. The alarm was a joke for a place like this. 

Kunsel had worked out the owner, a man named Rufus Shinra who liked exotic animals as pets. Supposedly he treated them well but that wasn’t a factor in his mission. A man who bought trafficked animals was not a man who wanted the police sniffing around their property. The alarm was likely more for personal use only which suited Squall fine. 

Squall inhaled deeply, catching Cloud’s scent and a knot in his chest shifted. Cloud had been here, likely carried through these ostentatious halls. He went to the first disgustingly large staircase in the main foyer but he didn’t smell Cloud there so he back tracked. It was easy enough to walk into rooms and open doors, each time narrowing down where his partner had been taken.

There was a small pop noise, and a smooth timbre began speaking over an intercom that clearly stretched across the house. 

“You are trespassing.” 

“And you stole my cat. Fuck you,” Squall said, continuing his search. 

He’d had the time to break into another locked door before hearing an incredulous, “Excuse me?” 

Squall tsked, “If you want to get technical, someone else stole him and sold him to you. That doesn’t absolve you.” 

There was a twinge of irritation next they spoke, Squall considered that a win. “You will get yourself killed. Remove yourself from this property before the authorities are called.” 

“Call them,” Squall said, finding a door that led to stairs going down. There was Cloud’s scent, no mistake. “Explain to them why you spent five thousand gil on a trafficked cat. Bet that’ll go over great. Hell, they might come anyway once they’re finished going through that toad’s records.” 

There was silence for a while, the voice likely mulling over that accusatory comment all while watching Squall on cameras that clearly existed. Whatever, that wasn’t his problem right now. 

The stairs twisted at a landing, taking him down deeper than just a single level but it was still a straight forward path. It led him down to a basement that was broken up into three different cages. They were zoo quality enclosures but were cages to him all the same. Squall assumed this was some kind of temporary training area given the home owners love of exotic animals and the fact that two of the cages were empty but the smells said they’d been used before. 

“You need to leave,” the voice said again, crackling just faintly over the intercom. “He has not yet been introduced to the area and may be violent.” 

“You best worry about me being violent,” Squall snarled, moving to the last cage where a collared lion laid curled up on the floor. For a regular lion, the secluded area might have been luxurious. Food and water, an entire tree trunk as a scratching post. There were huge stones and shelves that seconded as platforms to roam. There seemed to be large vents leading to good ventilation but none of that impressed him. 

“Wait!” The intercom cut off as Squall wrapped his hands around the bars and experimentally tugged once before ripping the door clear off its hinges. Cloud would have been able to escape on his own but he needed to be conscious to do it. 

Squall flew into the enclosure, dropping to his knees beside Cloud and checking his pulse and sagging in relief when it was there. With no fear whatsoever, he ran his hands across Cloud’s fur, checking for injuries but it looked like he was still drugged, the collar enchanted to keep him asleep or docile. He’d take that back with him and give it to Quistis so she could dispose of it properly. 

He ignored the footsteps coming down the stairs and wasn’t worried about being deep in an enclosure since it no longer had a door. Much of his anger had tapered with Cloud safe and sound in his arms but he could muster it back up in a heartbeat if he needed to. 

“Poor baby,” He mumbled, fingers gliding through Cloud’s blond mane. “Did you take a knock to the head too?” He checked Cloud’s eyes, still drugged but sleeping it off was probably a good thing. 

“Are you trying to get yourself killed?” Squall glanced up at the speaker. A blond man in a long white coat that looked heavy. There was a Wutain man behind him in a black suit, the pair of them holding tranq guns. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” 

“My boyfriend is hardly going to kill me,” Squall said with no small amount of snark. “I might take a swing at you though.” 

“Boyfriend?” The blond, who must have been Rufus Shinra, asked with a note of skepticism. Beside him was a huge dog…thing. Squall didn’t have a word for it but the tentacle atop it’s head was really something. He hoped Cloud didn’t see it, he’d want one. “Are you actually insane? You will not be stealing my property.” 

Squall looked up then, a roar tearing passed his lips so loud that both men had taken a few steps back, guns raised. The guard dog beside Rufus growled back but the shake to its back legs proved its nerves. “He’s mine,” He declared, tone threatening. With a sharp jerk, Squall snapped the collar off Cloud’s neck and the change was slower than usual. The large golden lion shrank like a fog into a smaller blond man, his complexion chalky from whatever they’d given him. 

“Sweetheart,” Squall muttered sympathetically, pulling his jacket off to wrap around Cloud and bundle him close. 

Cloud grunted once, an exhausted gargle in his throat as he pressed his face against Squall’s neck and inhaled his scent. 

“I got you,” Squall said, dragging Cloud into his lap. 

“What the absolute fuck?” Rufus whispered, eyes wide. His companion schooled his expression better but he was clearly just as surprised. 

Squall flashed his teeth, instincts too close to the surface to be hidden. “So you didn’t know?” 

“What? No!” Rufus hissed, finally regrouping enough to be angry. “What would I want a person for!? Mother fucker, I knew the price was too low for an actual gold lion.” 

“To say the least,” Squall said dryly. Centuries prior the price of a shifter would have been the equivalent of millions now but those markets weren’t what they used to be with rights given to non-humans. 

Since the tranq guns had been lowered, Squall went about checking Cloud over a little more thoroughly. The injection site was red and puffy and there were bruises across his clavicle. It probably wasn’t as easy to force him to change into his lion form as they had thought. 

“For fuck’s sake,” Rufus hissed, obviously annoyed. “There is absolutely no way they’re getting away with this.” 

“Great. Then I'll leave you to your business. I’ll be taking him home now,” Squall said, snagging the collar and shoving it in his pocket before they remembered it.

“Obviously,” Rufus did a rather good impression of a growl. “I have no use for buying people. That is not what I wanted at all. I wanted a gold lion not whatever the hell this is. What even are you?” He was waving his hands around as if Squall was the one to personally make this mess. Well, he made part of it. 

“Shifters,” His companion muttered. “Perhaps not rare, but not common either.” 

Rufus glared, “Find a way to recover my gil, Tseng. I don’t care if the police are involved. Those bastards did not deliver as promised.” 

“Yes, sir.” 

“And you!” Rufus turned back to Squall, watching as Squall nearly rocked Cloud in his arms. “How are you identified? This is not a mistake I wish to repeat.” 

“Well at least there’s that,” Squall deadpanned. Not wanting to buy people was probably a redeeming quality but he was only feeling so charitable after the day he’d had. “You’d have figured it out on your own when he woke up and was not only pissed, but was far too intelligent.” 

Tseng hummed, “He’d have broken out on his own, I suppose.” 

“Eventually,” Squall said, having no plans to explain to them how the collar worked. If they hadn’t noticed that on their own, then that was their problem. He nuzzled his cheek against Cloud’s hair and for the first time in hours, felt calm. 

He would text everyone that he had retrieved Cloud when he got back to his car. 

“I see,” Tseng said. “We apologize for the inconvenience.” Rufus was still fuming, muttering to himself about cheapskates and dirty deals. If the police didn’t keep the toad, then Squall was fairly confident Rufus would deal with him. Oh well, not a total loss. 

Squall grunted, not accepting or ignoring the apology, but all of his attention shifted to Cloud when he shuddered, making a retching noise. Still presumably out cold, he began dry heaving, Squall adjusting him in his hold so gravity was on Cloud’s side. He rubbed little circles on Cloud’s back and from the single glance he cast the other two to make sure they weren’t about to do anything stupid, they looked contrite over the matter. 

There seemingly wasn’t much in his stomach to throw up, telling Squall this wasn’t the first time since he’d been taken that he’d done so. 

Out of nowhere, Cloud moved to swipe, his claws at a dangerous length but Squall caught his wrist and kissed his palm. “I’m right here.” 

His energy had been used up with that one move. With a slow turn, Cloud looked up at him with a glassy stare that probably wasn’t seeing much of anything yet. He did have the sense to pull Squall's hand closer to sniff and he made a gargled noise laced with pain as he lunged against Squall’s chest with a hard thud.

His growls were gravelly and he shook like a shivering spell had just come over him.

“It’s alright now,” Squall whispered, rubbing a hand up and down his leg. “We’ll go home.” 

Rufus was still cursing, looking like he could kill while his companion was crouched down, looking over the door Squall had dismantled. “I will see to it that your partner is compensated for his pain and suffering.”

That drew Squall up short but he gathered Cloud close to his chest and stood. “Whatever,” he muttered, having already dealt out a few crushing blows over the matter himself. If Rufus wanted to further destroy the toad and compensate Cloud, that was his business. 

“I’ll show myself out,” Squall said, aware of every small noise Cloud was making against his shoulder. He wasn’t crying but every sound betrayed his discomfort. 

“Shall I show you the way out?” Tseng offered, looking up from the enclosure door. 

“Nah,” He just headed back towards the stairs so he could backtrack his way out of this place. It wouldn’t be hard but his tunnel vision had been so severe when he’d entered the fancy home. He didn’t actually remember what any of it looked like. 

“Hey!” Rufus called up the stairs behind him. “What are your names? I may have more questions about your kind.” 

“Goodbye,” Squall said, having already taken the stairs three at a time. For someone with money like Rufus, he’d probably be able to find out on his own but that didn’t mean Squall would make it easy on him. Chances were good Rufus would know what the police knew within the hour.

He jogged the whole way and Cloud didn’t stir again until he was being buckled into the passenger seat of his car. 

“Squally?” he slurred.

“I’m here.” 

Cloud looked around, his vision unfocused. “Ow?” The fact that he was saying words at all eased something in Squalls chest.

“Yeah, I'm sure. I’ll baby you tonight. A long soak, hair brushing, warm bed,” Squall said, getting an appreciative noise in response. He circled around his car to get into the driver's side and was just about to turn his car on when Cloud spoke again. 

“I’m naked.” 

“You have my jacket on,” Squall disagreed. 

Cloud coughed once, “Som’thin’ hit me. Dizzy. Got…” 

“I know, baby.” Squall muttered, turning the car on. He idled long enough to text Tifa and Zell that he had Cloud. They’d let everyone else know. “We got a while before we’re home so why don’t you sleep more.” 

“Som’thin happened?” Cloud turned to look at him, looking a little feverish. The drugs would work out of his system soon enough but they must have given him a shocking amount given the strength of their metabolism. “Where..ar’we?” 

“I’ll tell you the whole story when we get home. Rest, please,” Squall said. He could breathe again with Cloud next to him and safe. It didn’t stop the way his hands shook from all the ‘what ifs’ that still plagued his mind. 

“Squall?” 

“We’ll go get your puppy this weekend.” 

That succeeded in side tracking Cloud briefly. An exhausted smile still lit up his face. “Puppy? Really?” 

“Anything that makes you happy, Cloud. Anything.” 

Cloud shifted, sinking into his jacket with his head lulled back against the head rest. His smile didn’t fade the whole way home, and Squall’s love didn’t tremble. The next time he was supposed to pick Cloud up somewhere, he wouldn’t be late.

Chapter Text

8/16 - Last Day - Soulmark / Innocent Misunderstanding 

Cloud rubbed his sweaty palms onto his jeans as he entered the library. This was his third appointment this month and he was starting to get used to the process. He could do it again, pretend he was social enough to deal with vulnerable people looking for answers. At least his first two appointments had gone well. Mostly. 

When Cloud had entered the mechanical engineering program at Radiant University, he’d expected to be arms deep in oil and mechanical projects he enjoyed fitting together like puzzle pieces. He didn’t expect that half way into his first year he’d have swapped to architecture with a minor in runic languages. 

Tapping his arm nervously out of habit where his soul mark laid, Cloud could admit that his sudden language career had been a fluke. 

Soul ink was personal and occasionally fickle, the name of your soulmate appearing on your forearm at some point during puberty. The problem that arose from this is that the soulmate’s name was always written in their native tongue, or the first language they learned. Learned might have been an overly generous estimation considering leading researchers on the subject claimed that it could have been as simple as the first handful of words spoken. 

With well over three thousand languages on the planet, indexes had been made to help make searches a little easier. Some parents went as far as trying to keep things easier on their kids by making sure Common was their first language but it was far from a perfect system. Search engines could only help so much, and experts in the field were needed. 

It wasn’t uncommon for people to end up learning two or three languages by their adulthood. Cloud himself knew five, including Common. When the squiggles on his arm remained impossible to track down on his own, he’d signed up for a particular elective called World Language. Numerous colleges had them and its purpose was to help track down unreadable soulmarks. Actually being able to read the name on their arm was one step closer in aiding someone in finding their soulmate. 

Cloud had only been in that class for four days before an alert went out to anyone with talent in runic languages. Apparently their usual expert on the languages took a sudden leave of absence and Cloud found himself with a side gig. It wasn’t helping him with his own squiggles but so far he’d helped two students narrow down their own options considerably. One of which he could even partially read. 

Tightening his grip on the strap to his backpack, Cloud looked around the library for today’s appointment. He waved to the librarian and she politely pointed him in the right direction with a small smile. The runic section of the library wasn’t as big as some of the others, but it still boasted a few hundred books. Cloud loved looking through them when he had a chance and what did he know, maybe his knowledge had more worth than he knew. 

When he spotted the boy waiting for him, Cloud felt his mouth go dry. Squall Leonhart was just too damn pretty. Not just pretty, but handsome in that way that came so effortlessly from athletes or musicians. They shared a biology class that Cloud still didn’t know why he needed it for his track but whatever. They’d never spoken to each other before. 

“Hey. Squall Leonhart, right?” Cloud said as he set his backpack down on the table, quietly pulling out the chair across from him. 

Squall glanced up, yanking off his reading glasses a second later. Honestly, was he trying to kill Cloud with his looks alone? “Yeah,” he checked his phone quickly. “Cloud? We have bio 2 together, don’t we?” 

“Yeah,” Cloud nodded, taking a seat and looking over the books Squall was studying. Runes of the Sea. Runerites. Rune Marks. Understanding Basic Runes. 

He was being thorough. 

“Nice to mee you,” Cloud continued, pulling out a notebook for him to jot down his own notes in. 

Squall grunted, but it wasn’t unfriendly, “You’re Radiant U’s rune expert?” 

“Temporarily,” Cloud said. “Not sure what happened to the real one but they were desperate enough to accept my qualifications. You are my third appointment but the first two went well so we’ll see what I can help you with.” 

With a nod, Squall reached up to rub his eyes. He looked tired, but if he was actually reading all those books, Cloud had little doubts that he was. “Yeah,” he muttered. “I’ll take whatever help I can get. Every time I think I'm getting the hang of runes I read another paragraph and I lose it.” 

“Oh, I’ll bet. Runes evolved, they were borrowed across cultures. They were lost in later translations. It’s a pain in the ass,” Cloud said with a hint of sympathy. “We'll start at the very least, by trying to narrow down a country or region. The runes might be old but chances are good the name is modern.” 

Squall took a deep breath and nodded, finally letting out some of the tension in his shoulders. “I appreciate it. How’d you get started on runes?” 

Cloud snorted, pulling out one of his books that focused on runic alphabets and how they changed over time. “Same way as anyone with such a niche specialty. I grew up with it. We still use ‘em at home. Confused the hell out of me as a kid when I tried to match runes to Common letters. I got it eventually.” 

That managed to pull a weak smile from Squall and Cloud would take that as a win. “What languages do you know, if you don’t mind my asking?” 

Cloud shook his head. “Common, obviously. Old Nibel, Nibel, Coscan, and Elder Juno. I’m working on Cetran now but I'm not fluent.” 

Squall whistled, brows raised as if impressed and Odin, Cloud wanted him to be impressed. “Are all of those runic languages?”

“Modern Nibel, not so much, and Coscan is surprisingly versatile on it’s runes and modern writing. Not interchangeable but you learn one you can work out the other,” Cloud said, trying to sound casual and not like he was bragging. “You? Multiple languages?” 

Squall offered a single nod that Cloud almost thought was shy. “Common, Wutain, Balamb and Esthar.” 

“Nice,” Cloud complimented. 

“Yeah but not a runic language in sight,” Squall tried to smile but it came out as a weary sigh. “So I'd appreciate any help you can offer.” 

Cloud crossed his arms on his notebook in front of him and nodded. “Well, if you don’t mind, lemme take a look.” 

“Yeah. Right,” Squall muttered and rolled up his sleeve slowly. Cloud got the impression it wasn’t something he showed off often but that wasn’t an uncommon thing. There were the people who showed off their soul ink at every conceivable turn and then there were the people who guarded their ink as if guarding their soulmate themselves. 

When Squall held out his arm for Cloud to look over the black runic letters, Cloud’s breath stuttered before it cut off altogether and Cloud had to force himself to inhale. He knew those letters, he knew that language, he knew that name. 

ᚲ︍ᛚᛟᚢᛞ᛫ᛊᛏᚱᛁᚠᛖ

Okay. Okay. Okay, fuck, fuck. 

“Cloud?” Squall was staring, lips drawn into a frown. Cloud had such a hard time trying to pull his eyes away from the ink that he barely noticed the traces of worry in Squall’s brow. “You okay?” 

Cloud reached out, not quite touching the ink but he wanted to. That was old Nibel. That was his name.

“Cloud?” 

Cloud nearly jerked back, hands shaking as he closed his notebook and shoved it towards Squall. Right there on the cover he’d written his name in both Common and Old Nibel. He watched as Squall stared at the cover, not even needing to look at his own arm for confirmation when he’d no doubt had the shape of each rune long memorized. 

“That’s my name,” Cloud spoke in a whisper, hating that he knew his ears were hot. 

Squall looked up at him, something warring behind his eyes. “You didn’t say anything before now?” He asked just as quietly. 

Cloud shook his head. “I didn’t know. I can’t read my ink.” 

“Lemme see,” Squall said, not exactly demanding but he wasn’t going to take a ‘no’ for an answer either. He held his hand out for Cloud’s arm and Cloud couldn’t stop his own trembling as he pushed his sleeve up. 

Καταιγίδα Λίγηρα

Squall swallowed, but took a different approach to this. “Is…Is your name common?” 

Cloud’s brows crinkled. “No. Not my first or my surname. You see how the runes touch here, that’s Old Nibel. We’re the only ones who write runes like this and the only Strife family is mine. Why?” 

“What the fuck…” Squall whispered, still looking at the name on his arm and trying to come to terms with something beyond Cloud limited knowledge. “An actual name…” 

“Hn?” Cloud tilted his head, almost confused by the emotion suddenly filling Squall’s face. 

He had to clear his throat to get words out again. “It’s Esthar. Like an old country kind of Esthar I only know a little of,” He swallowed thickly and it took him a moment to meet Cloud’s eye. “I was orphaned. Leonhart was the surname I was given.” 

Cloud felt winded. That made more sense. The name on Cloud’s arm didn’t match his name so he was questioning if he was the correct Cloud Strife. It was a silly thought, of course he was the right Cloud, but he wasn’t going to rush Squall to fully accept the knowledge of his birth name. “Oh. What’s…it say?” 

“Loire,” Squall’s voice was soft, reaching up to drag a hand across his eyes. “Squall Loire. I meet my soulmate and learn my birth name in the same moment.” 

“Well, I…” Cloud hesitated, watching Squall do his best to keep himself from falling apart. “I’m not…going anywhere so you just… take your time.” 

The noise that punched out of Squall was something else. “Thank you. Thank you. You…” Squall held his face in his hands briefly. “Guess you’ve never helped someone with runes so fast.”

A laugh was surprised right out of Cloud. “No. No I haven't, but if I couldn't even help my soulmate then what good am I?” 

Squall finally reached out, his hand covering his name on Cloud’s arm. His breathing was uneven but he seemed like he was working on pulling himself together fairly well. “I’ve been looking for you since I was fourteen. I thought…” 

Cloud’s freehand moved to rest on top of Squall’s. He didn’t interrupt, just waited for Squall to continue. 

“I thought I might finally have someone. Growing up an orphan sucks. I thought a soulmate would be proof of… of something.” 

“I was fifteen when I got mine,” Cloud offered in a gentle voice. “I was obsessed with the letters I couldn't understand. You’ll have to teach me to say it correctly.” 

Squall managed a smile, “Yeah.” 

“And I don’t have a dad either, but I do have a mom. She’ll be thrilled to meet you.” 

A weak laugh was pulled out of Squall again, “I’d love that. Even if it kind of scares the hell out of me.” 

It scared Cloud too but he knew his ma would be beside herself with joy. He’d have to remember to call her that evening. 

Finally, Cloud worked up the nerve to touch his name inked into Squall’s arm. Squall didn’t seem to mind, his eyes lingering on Cloud’s fingers. “You know, I spent so long wondering about this moment, I don’t really know what comes after.” 

“Right?” Squall agreed immediately. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m… I’m happy. It’s just not like books and movies.” 

There was a spark. There was chemistry. They had the obvious potential to develop into a wonderful relationship but they were still strangers to each other. They shared a class and went to the same school. They lived in the same city but these things were only the tip of the iceberg when it came to what they could have in common. 

Fated meetings were always dramatic in the movies. Couples falling instantly in love, kissing and expressing their undying love for the other. It was pretty and romantic but it was still just fiction. 

The moment was special, that was true. Cloud would even say his world was different now just because Squall would be a part of his life now, but the two of them only sat there at that library table, each of them touching the other's soul ink in a quiet, shared moment. It was far better than either of them falling to their knees in over dramatized enthusiasm. This was real. 

“It’s still good though,” Cloud whispered, Squall’s grip on his arm tightening in agreement. 

“Yeah. It’s still good. I’m sorry,” He added a moment later. “I didn’t mean to take the focus away from us with my reaction.” 

Cloud was shaking his head before Squall could even finish his apology. “Absolutely not. You got a piece of your past today,” He hesitated before continuing. “And your future. It’s just fine to want to step back and take it all in.” 

The small curve of Squall’s lips into a smile had Cloud’s heart beating just a little louder. “Thank you. Guess one search came to an end and now I can start another. That doesn’t have to be today though.”

“Why not?” Cloud asked. “Your appointment is for another hour and we’ve solved your rune dilemma. No reason we can’t start poking around your family tree.”  

Squall puffed out a breath of air that ended in a laugh. “My appointment, huh? What about when the hour is up?” 

Cloud pulled his hand away from Squall and brushed a stray blond spike of hair behind his ear. “After? Well if you’re free tonight… Do you want to go to dinner? Nothing fancy.” 

“I’d like that,” Squall muttered and Cloud really hoped he wasn’t reading too much into the way Squall’s gaze softened. “I’d like to get to know you.” 

“Me too. I’m not trying to keep you a secret or anything but I have a handful of friends that will make things impossible if they learn about us too early on.” Cloud said. “They’re excitable. I’d like to have a chance with just the two of us.” 

“Same,” Squall said immediately, looking relieved. “But I guess it’s normal for your friends to be happy for you.” 

“Yeah, uh huh. There’s happy for me and then there’s crashing my dates,” Cloud said, face heating up a moment later just because he’d said the word ‘date’. It was ridiculous. Of course he could call their dinner a date, they were soulmates. Talking about it so casually had him unexpectedly flustered. 

Squall actually snorted. “Starting to wonder if our friend groups over lap.” He finally pulled his hand away from Cloud’s arm and he missed the touch almost immediately. “Thank you, Cloud. For being so understanding with all this.” 

“Hey, I found my soulmate today too,” Cloud offered, hoping to erase the hints of doubt in Squall’s voice. “And I get to help you learn about your family. That’s cool.” 

He shoved his book and notebook back into his backpack. They didn’t need to go over runes anymore but he half wondered if Squall would continue to be interested. Some polyglots enjoyed picking up new languages and now Squall would know which one to focus on. 

“We’ll grab one of the computers and see what we can find.” 

“Just like that?” Squall arched a brow. 

“Yeah, just like that,” Cloud said. “You now know your surname. You know what orphanage you were in. I assume you know how old you were when you got there?” He continued when Squall nodded. “Obituaries for the name Loire in that year might be a good place to start. You could have some living relatives out there.” 

The surprise on Squall’s face was genuine, as if he’d never given it much thought before. “Maybe. You thought of that just now?” 

“Yeah?” 

Squall gave him one of those soft looks again. “You know fifteen minutes ago I was so relieved to have found you. Already I’m starting to think I'm very lucky to have you.” 

Cloud moved to stand up, cheeks burning with the sweet words. “Thank you,” He said abruptly and moved on as quickly as possible. “Let’s grab a computer and see what resources the library has.” 

He turned away, but he could hear the soft laughter behind him as Squall got up to follow him. Cloud hardly knew what to do with the handsome boy being his soulmate, but he’d fight for his place if he had to. Fortunately, it was looking like that would be necessary. Squall walked beside him as they strolled to another section of the library, their shoulders just barely brushing. 

Cloud had found his soulmate. Now he was going to give Squall whatever answers about family he could, and be there for him as the proof of…something. 

~

It took a few weeks to make any real progress in their search, but Cloud and Squall found themselves rather attached at the hip while going through old newspapers and census’ looking for clues. Loire wasn’t entirely uncommon of a surname but it seemed to have more roots in Galbadia than anywhere else. 

There were still an awful lot of names to go through but no signs of a Squall Loire anywhere in the public records. It was discouraging, but Squall considered this just the beginning of his search and wasn’t deterred. Cloud liked to think his own close proximity to Squall was helping and according to at least two of Squall’s close friends, his mood had undergone a complete change since meeting Cloud. 

When Cloud decided to alter the course of his search and look into Squall’s past he struck gold. The orphanage Squall grew up in was in the south, a little place in Mideel. According to Squall he was still close with most of the children he’d grown up with and Cloud had even met a few of them in the last week or so.

The entire orphanage had relocated after a sudden storm caused flood waters to rise and the house was damaged, unfortunately that meant many of the children’s belongings and records had been damaged too. Stories on the children had been written at the time though in the small town in an attempt to get the children adopted.

It was where Cloud found the little article on the Matron Edea Kramer welcoming to the orphanage little Squall Leonhart, found just outside of Winhill which.. Wasn’t all that far from Radiant Garden but it was a decent ways away from Mideel so how had Squall ended up so far away? Surely there were other, closer, child programs that could have taken him. 

Back to the Loire search only this time in the Winhill area, Cloud finally found an obituary that caught his attention. 

Raine Loire- Wife and Mother. The dates on her memorial told a sad story of a mother that had died too young. The accompanied obituary spoke of a fire that sparked accidentally. 

“Squall,” Cloud called, getting his soulmate's attention. They were sitting in Cloud’s tiny one bedroom apartment, but he didn’t live on campus the way Squall did. For all it was a little place, Squall seemed to love it for its privacy and its only inhabitant being Cloud. 

“Find something?” Squall asked, looking up from the essay he was writing. Learning what he had about Squall in the short time they’d known each other, he couldn’t help but smile over Squall’s passions. He aimed to be a child psychologist and Cloud thought it was the sweetest thing, but it was also likely an attempt at Squall soothing his own childhood problems. 

“I think I found you.” 

Squall was on his feet instantly, his laptop nearly tossed to the side as he crowded Cloud on the side of the sofa he occupied. “What? Where?” 

“Found a woman named Raine Loire. Married the year you were born, died before you turned two. I started trying to track her backwards from her death and found a birth announcement. Look,” Cloud pushed the screen closer to Squall who was reading quickly. 

Laguna and Raine Loire announcing Squall Loire. The birthday he knew. The time of his birth along with his size and weight. There was a single picture of a woman with long dark hair holding her newborn baby so proudly. Cloud watched as Squall saved the picture to Cloud’s laptop on autopilot, staring at the image with unfurling emotions in his eyes. 

“You okay?” Cloud asked, his hand resting on Squall’s thigh. 

“Yeah, I’m just…” Squall began, sounding nearly dazed. “This could be my mom. This was her.” 

“She’s pretty,” Cloud offered. “And it’s unmistakable how she’s looking at you.” 

He swallowed and nodded once. “Assuming this is her and we’re not jumping to conclusions.” 

Cloud squeezed his thigh and leaned closer to rest his head on Squall’s shoulder. He wasn’t going to take the picture away from him any time soon. Cloud would want a picture of his mom if he’d never seen her before and right now, there were still many ‘what ifs’ to uncover. 

“I mean, it does add up,” Squall said, leaning into Cloud and resting his cheek against Cloud’s hair. “But I could be seeing what I want to see.” 

“You have time,” Cloud said. “We’ve only been looking for about two weeks and have quite a bit of information. We can find more.” 

“You think so?” Squall asked something genuinely inquisitive in his voice. 

“Yeah,” Cloud said, reaching to point at the screen. “Your father’s name is on the announcement and…” He pointed at the picture of Raine where an ‘Lag’ was visible. “He was your mom’s soulmate. Finding out what happened to him is the next step, right?” 

“Yeah. Guess I should find out how he died too,” Squall said, but his tone had Cloud closing his laptop for now. 

“Yeah, but not right now, okay?” Cloud said, reaching to curl his fingers around Squall’s. He recognized how much was on Squall’s shoulders. He was taking a full course of classes that he could now focus on properly without weighing himself down with books on runes to be able to read his soulmark. 

Wanting to find out what happened to his parents was a curiosity and one Cloud fully supported but it didn’t need to be done in a hurry. It’s not like they could bring them back… 

“Why don’t you stay the night? I’ll run down to the food trucks and grab dinner. We can eat and you can finish your essay without having to rush back to the dorm rooms.” 

Squall stayed over at least three or four nights a week now. His apartment might have been small but it was still bigger than the dorm Squall lived in and came with a kitchen and a bathroom only two people used instead of four. He was working up the nerve to ask Squall to just stay but it felt too soon. Just because they were soulmates didn’t mean they needed to dive into the other’s space. 

It didn’t stop Cloud from inviting him over often. 

“Yeah, okay.” Squall said, taking Cloud’s hand to prevent him from getting up. “Dinner sounds good. Staying the night sounds good. I really appreciate you helping me with this mess.” 

“I like helping you,” Cloud muttered. “We’ll see if there’s any part of this we can confirm later but right now, I'm just as happy to focus on you.” 

“And I need to focus on you.” Squall said, rotating somewhat to face Cloud. “What do you think about going to visit your mom on winter break?” 

Cloud grinned, “I think she’d love that, but you are underestimating Nibel winters.” 

“I’ll pack warm.” 

There was heat filling Cloud’s face as he grinned. There were a lot of things about his home he wanted to share with Squall, even if winter might not have been the ideal time. “I’ll double check that you’re actually packing warm. Ma’s excited to meet you. Did you want to stay there for Yule?” 

“A family Yule sounds… like something from a story.” Squall said, his tone almost wistful. A defence he’d likely had all his life but now the invitation was sitting on his lap. “I’d like to try it.” 

“Then ma really will be excited. I’ll call and tell her in a few days. We have plenty of time to work out the details,” Cloud said. He was excited to share their traditions with Squall and his ma was ready for her second son. Cloud had told her he’d found his soulmate by texting her a picture of Squall’s soul ink and she’d called screaming excitedly in less than three minutes. 

“You sure, it’s okay?” 

“I’m sure, Kataigída.” 

The way Squall lips immediately curled into a smile put all kinds of butterflies in Cloud’s stomach. He knew he was saying Squall’s name wrong. 

“You promised to teach me to pronounce it right.” 

“You are.” 

“I’m not. I know I'm not.” 

“You’re pronouncing it perfectly,” Squall said instead. 

“That is not the same thing.” 

Squall’s smile turned into a grin and he shyly pressed his nose to Cloud’s. “It’s perfect.” 

That heat across Cloud’s cheeks grew worse. Why Squall enjoyed him butchering his name, he didn’t know. “I’ll go grab food.” 

“Thank you, Cloud,” Squall said. If nothing else, his mood had brightened. 

~ 

“Hi mom,” Squall whispered, standing arm and arm with Cloud at the grave of one Raine Loire. The first thing he’d done was set down the flower they’d brought. “Assuming you are my mom…” 

Her grave was beautifully cared for, but seemed more of a monument than her actual resting place. It also came with a surprise the weren't expecting. On the same plaque, under Raine's name was Squall Loire, beloved Son, taken too soon. The date under his name would have had him only sixteen months old at his death. They hadn't seen it when searching for Raine but it was right there, the two of them kept together. It was like Raine could still cradle her infant son like she had been in the picture. 

Cloud squeezed his arm, the both of them had dressed warmly, but the chill of emotion was a different beast. “She was a mom though. Even if she wasn’t, I think she’d welcome you. You know?” 

“It’s a nice thought. A confusing thought but this entire thing has been confusing.” Squall said, looking down at the etching’s that spelled out his name.

Research into his parents had taken a wild turn when Squall discovered that Laguna Loire was still alive. Not just alive but incredibly easy to find since Laguna Loire was now Esthar’s president. A man that clearly thought his son was as dead as his wife. 

Squall had heard the name before though Cloud had no shame in admitting that he hadn’t. Some other country’s president had meant little to him. They thought for the first two days after the discovery that they must have been looking for a different Laguna Loire but then Squall found a picture that contained the President’s soul ink. Raine Loire. 

There were even articles where he mentions the loss of his wife and son briefly and Squall could hardly wrap his head around the idea that he could be related to such a person. So far, Squall hadn’t attempted to contact him even though Cloud had pointed out that an actual DNA test would be the quickest way for him to know if they were his parents or not. 

Squall didn’t know if that was a can of worms he wanted to open. 

“She’d like you, whether you’re her son or not,” Cloud offered. 

“You’re biased,” Squall said right after, but it put a fond look on his face. He looked back at the gravestone. “Mom, this is my soulmate, Cloud. He helped me find you. He’s the whole reason we’re here.” 

“Don’t lie to your mom,” Cloud said. 

Squall’s small smile remained. “He’s modest, mom, but he makes me happy.” 

“For Odin’s sake,” Cloud muttered, blush spreading across his face. “Your son can talk about anyone but himself, Mrs. Loire. He’s kind, sweet with kids, and he’s learning to speak Nibel just to try and impress my ma. The picture of the two of you is framed in my apartment, and he… really makes me happy too.” 

“You don’t have to tell her everything,” Squall mumbled and Cloud was immensely pleased to see that his cheeks were pink too. 

“She probably already knows and I won’t lie to her,” Cloud said. “I do wish I knew what advice she’d give on Laguna though.” 

Squall made a face. “It’s been nearly twenty years. He’s gotta be different from what she knew.” 

“He never remarried,” Cloud said. “Still claims he loves his wife. I think that’s beautiful.” 

“Maybe,” Squall sighed, pulling out his phone to take a picture of his mothers grave. Monument. Memorial. Whatever. “Wish me luck, mom. I’ll be meeting Cloud’s mom tomorrow.” 

“She’ll love him,” Cloud confirmed but moved to slide and arm around Squall’s waist. “You don’t have to rush this visit.” 

“No, I know. Now that I know where it is I can come again,” Squall said. “But I want to continue on to Nibelheim before the weather gets worse.” 

Cloud just nodded, deciding not to argue with Squall on this one. This was his moment with his mom. 

Kneeling down, Squall placed his hand on the gravestone, fingers tracing a few words at the bottom of the stone etched in Esthar. Cloud thought it may be a poem or something else special put there by Laguna. He’d have to translate them later. It wasn’t the time to ask Squall. 

“I’ll come back, mom. Assuming you are my mom.” 

“I doubt she’d mind either way,” Cloud said again, but after that he stood quietly while Squall said his goodbye silently. 

When he stood up, he took Cloud’s hand again and led him back towards their waiting car. “Thanks for coming with me.” 

“Of course.” 

With a sigh, Squall stubbornly looked forward instead of back. “You think they’re really my parents? You think Laguna still loves her.” 

Cloud hummed, “I think we found your mom by looking for you. Found your dad through her. It makes sense but anything is possible. As for if Laguna still loves her? Yeah, I think he does. Talking about you two is painful but he’s never shied away from it. He doesn’t always cover his soul ink, there’s dozens of pictures of her name. He probably thinks about her often in his own way.” 

Squall gave that some thought, thumb rubbing the back of Cloud’s hand. “Is your mom the same with her soul ink?” 

“Not really. She got tired of questions from well meaning people that didn’t know any better. Hard to tell people your soulmate is dead,” Cloud said, though he hadn’t understood how hard until recently. “When i was a kid, mom got a tattoo of flowers over her soulmark. It’s huge and beautiful and pieces of his name still poke through but it's…a statement. She laid him to rest twice in a way.” 

“That’s…” Squall blinked. “That’s kinda cool. I like that. Is that a Nibel tradition?” 

“Nah, that’s just my ma,” Cloud snickered. “I mean it used to be, back a long time ago but not everyone gets that tattoo’s like we used to.” 

“Would you do that for me?” Squall asked. 

Cloud cut his eyes at him. “Don’t plan your death, alright? But yeah. I’d do that for you too.” 

“It’s a promise,” Squall said, coming to a stop when they got to their car and keeping a hold of Cloud’s hands. “I’ll try to contact Laguna after Yule. I don’t want it hanging over me right now.” 

“There’s no rush,” Cloud said, in full agreement. “I’m still not going anywhere…” 

With that fond look reappearing, Squall cupped Cloud’s face and tilted his head back just enough to kiss him. Their first kiss, and Cloud felt it all the way down to his toes. He responded only a beat later and the two of them stood in the cold, but their breath was warm. 

“I’m pretty sure I’m falling in love with my soulmate,” Squall muttered against his lips. 

“Good, then I'm not alone in that,” Cloud pressed their lips together again, soft kisses growing into lingering ones. There was more to discover between them. They might have been taking a moment to learn about Squall’s past but they were happy to share each other's future.  

When Squall finally pulled away, he looked genuinely happy. “Let’s not keep your mom waiting.” 

“Yeah, let’s go.”