Chapter Text
The SOLDIER cafeteria was nothing like the Infantry cafeteria, and Cloud was instantly jealous. What the fuck, he thought, craning his neck to take everything in. They actually had plants here. And nice chairs. And tables that weren’t falling apart. And, from the smell wafting through the air, food that wasn’t barely-edible slop.
“Isn’t it cool?” Zack asked, completely misinterpreting the reason Cloud was looking around so intently. “I love hanging out here with all my buddies! They’re gonna be so excited to meet you, baby.”
Cloud looked at Zack incredulously. Yeah, right. There was no way anyone else would be as enthusiastic about his presence as Zack was. They would either have heard about his assassination antics, or they would be annoyed by a toddler’s presence in their space. SOLDIER wasn’t exactly known for its family-friendliness.
“Seph,” said Angeal. He was waving to The Mouthy One, who was sitting at a table in the corner reading a book. Cloud noted that he’d either cleaned or retrieved a duplicate of his ostentatious red coat. He did not wave back at Angeal, who said, “Why don’t you take Cloud and go sit with Gen? Zack and I will get food for both of you.”
Sephiroth nodded. “Appreciated.”
Zack ruffled Cloud’s hair before bouncing off with Angeal toward the food. Sephiroth carried him across the busy room, and once Cloud had stopped staring longingly after his preferred SOLDIER, he started to notice something… weird.
Everyone in the cafeteria was staring at him.
Everyone.
Cloud narrowed his eyes at the nearest table of Thirds. All of them grinned at him excitedly. About half waved. The other half cooed.
“What the fuck,” said Cloud.
Sephiroth rubbed his back. “What’s wrong?”
His question earned him a scornful look, which was worth it despite the way it threatened to bring Cloud’s headache back in force. “Like I’d tell y—“
BAD! OBEY HANDLER! TELL HANDLER! BE GOOD FOR HANDLER!
Cloud might have blacked out for a moment. It was hard to tell. What he did know was that he paid for his little bit of insolence with pain like an ice pick between his eyes, worse than almost anything before. The breath he sucked in wheezed badly and tasted like copper. He was face-down against Sephiroth’s shoulder.
“Shhh,” said his insane mortal enemy, cradling the back of his head. “You don’t need to tell me anything if you do not want to.”
Instantly, the pain vanished, which made Cloud suck in another startled breath. He gripped the leather coat under his hands, disoriented, and could only think that those scientists really, really did not want to let him ever withhold information from Handler.
Good. Obeying Handler, very good.
Cloud didn’t quite recover enough to do anything but keep his head down and breathe as Sephiroth sat. When he swallowed, he realized that the taste of copper wasn’t his imagination. At some point he'd bitten into his tongue.
He was upset—no, not him. Mini-him, the baby ‘bo who didn’t deserve to pay for Cloud’s mistakes, was upset. Sorry, kid, he apologized, sneaking a hand up to his face to wipe his nose. I… I’ll try not to do that again.
“Sephiroth, if your baby assassin vomits on my coat again, I’m making you do all my dry-cleaning,” said The Mouthy One.
“He’s alright. Thank you for the concern, Genesis,” said Sephiroth.
Genesis huffed. When Cloud actually managed to peel his face off of Sephiroth’s coat and sit up, though, the irritable SOLDIER’s haughty expression faltered. “…he’s bleeding.”
Sephiroth tilted Cloud’s chin up, frowning, and allowed him to jerk away once he was fed up with being stared at (which was to say, after about half a second of it). “He is,” he agreed, stealing Genesis’s glass of water and wetting a napkin to clean the blood from around Cloud’s mouth. “Did you bite your tongue?”
“Maybe,” Cloud grumbled, careful not to trip his instincts. He grabbed the wet napkin and cleaned himself up. Since Sephiroth allowed it, he avoided the headache.
“Hmm.”
Cloud hesitated for a moment. He didn’t want to ask Sephiroth what the hell was going on, so instead he looked at The Mouthy One, who was still watching him. Mouthy arched a carefully plucked eyebrow when their eyes met.
“Why is everyone looking at me like that?” Cloud asked, a little quieter than he’d intended.
Genesis’s other brow shot up to join its compatriot, and then he laughed. “Feeling chatty, are we? What do you mean why? How else would they look at SOLDIER’s newest… acquisition?”
“Not like Zack,” Cloud snapped. Obviously. “Like you do.”
“No one is permitted to look at you the way Genesis does,” Sephiroth said immediately. “Not even Genesis.”
What the fuck, Cloud thought, looking at Sephiroth incredulously.
Genesis just snorted. “My friend, I think you’re taking to this a little too well.” He lounged back. “But, I promise I won’t bully the little menace, so long as he stops aiming his vomit at me.” He stuck his hand out to Cloud. “Deal, little man?”
Cloud managed to look down his nose at the SOLDIER despite the height difference. Absolutely not. He was retaining his right to barf on the jerk if necessary. He preferred stabbing but was sure Sephiroth would stop him every time he tried, so barf it was.
“Hmm.” Mouthy retracted his hand. “I will continue bullying, then.”
“Genesis,” said Sephiroth.
“I jest!” He spread his hands and was not at all convincing.
Thankfully Zack joined them at that moment, bouncing up to the table with two giant trays in hand. “Here you go, chickabo!” he said, and slid both down in front of Sephiroth. Angeal followed with two more trays at a much more sedate pace.
The food looked and smelled fantastic, and Cloud was left yet again seething with jealousy. A den of monsters SOLDIER was, but at least the den was fed well compared to the infantry grunts.
Angeal handed out drinks. “Water for you and milk for the kid,” he said.
Cloud was unceremoniously shuffled to the back of his own head as baby-bo lunged for the cup. Apparently one of the only positive food associations the poor kid had was with milk, and he wanted it very much. “Mmm!” He practically dunked their face into the cup, and was narrowly saved from drenching his clothing by Sephiroth’s intervention.
“Careful,” said the SOLDIER, and baby-Bo obeyed immediately and without any pain. Cloud let it happen, because the kid was basking in sheer joy at the taste of cold, fresh milk. To Angeal, Sephiroth said, “perhaps next time I will bring a more appropriate cup for him.”
“Wow, you really like milk!” Zack laughed, reaching out to ruffle his short hair as baby-Bo continued chugging. “I’ll remember that.”
The SOLDIERs tucked into their own meals, conversing lightly. When the milk was gone (which didn’t take long at all), Sephiroth produced a child’s fork with blunted tines and pressed it into Cloud’s hand. Baby-bo immediately slid to the back of their head and let Cloud take over. Apparently he didn’t feel like learning how to use a fork or eat new foods at the moment. That was fine—Cloud actually knew what kinds of tastes and textures to expect when he started tearing into the pasta and chicken.
It was really good. Fuck you, Shinra, he seethed, and ate faster.
It occurred to him that he probably needed to start censoring his thoughts. He couldn’t bear being a worse influence on the kid than Sephiroth.
Sephiroth stilled under him after a few minutes and he paused too, looking up just in time to see a group of Second Class SOLDIERs led by a First stop in front of the table and salute. How very bold of them, he thought. Wasn’t Sephiroth supposed to be unapproachable by anyone without Zack’s level of exuberance?
“Sir!” said the leading First, though he was grinning.
“None of that,” said Angeal. “Do you need something, Eli?”
“Of course,” said the First—Eli. “Everyone wants to say hi to the kid, but we won the bet so we get first dibs.”
Cloud dropped his fork in sheer disbelief. What?
“So… hi bud!” said Eli, grinning wider, and was echoed by the SOLDIERs behind him. “Great work outsmarting the Turks. We’re so happy we got you first!”
“What bet?” Angeal asked while Cloud stared and tried to make sense of the world.
One of the Seconds pumped his fist. “If Sephiroth could nab him without taking any losses from the execs. We bet with the General and won! Ha!”
What is wrong with you people, thought Cloud.
A different Second stepped forward with a glass in hand. “I noticed you like milk, little guy. Want some more?”
Baby-bo lunged for it, ecstatic, only to have Sephiroth get to it first and hold it well above his head. “Wait,” he said, and baby-bo went obediently still. “Do not eat or drink anything that someone you do not know gives you, Cloud. You must let me, Genesis, or Angeal examine it first.”
Baby-bo didn’t get it, but Cloud did. If Hojo could find a way to steal him, he would, and drugging food was the least of the things that could happen. So, as begrudging as he was to agree to anything Sephiroth suggested, he nodded.
“Very good.” Sephiroth sipped the milk himself first and then paused, waiting for something to happen. Nothing did. “It’s safe for you to drink.”
This time, Baby-bo drank at a much more sedate pace, subdued by the not-really-a-scolding he’d gotten. The SOLDIERs cooed, and Cloud was absolutely certain he heard some of the other tables join in.
What the f—fudge, he thought. How was it possible for him to be this wrong about SOLDIER? He’d been so sure he knew what to expect, but this didn’t seem like the den of monsters in his memory. These people just seemed like a bunch of bog-standard rambunctious young men.
What had happened to these SOLDIERs to make things turn out so badly?
“Isn’t he just the cutest,” said Zack, underscoring the point.
“An adorable little monster,” Genesis muttered, obviously continuing to nurse his personal grudge against a toddler. Cloud ignored him.
“Almost as cute as my own kids,” Eli agreed. Cloud startled hard enough to knock baby-Bo out of his blissful milk trance. There were SOLDIERs who had kids? “We’ll see you later, little man,” he said, snapping off a salute specifically to Cloud. “Good luck, General.”
“Thank you,” Sephiroth murmured. He ruffled Cloud’s short hair, which should have been uncomfortable but wasn’t. Cloud was too busy brooding as he watched the SOLDERs walk away.
Just how much wasn’t he remembering? And how much had he never gotten a chance to know in the first place?
Even after they’d all finished eating and stood to leave, Sephiroth still wouldn’t let Zack take Cloud. Angeal received the brunt of his irritated glower and didn’t seem to care at all, which saved them both a headache. Sulky, Cloud let his chin rest over Sephiroth’s shoulder when they got into the elevator. At least like this he was comfortable and didn’t have to fight his instincts.
Then blinked and he was in a dream again, with baby-Bo grinning and squirming into his arms.
“G-good,” the kid said, voice thick and stumbling even for a three-year-old. Cloud realized it was only the second time he’d ever heard baby-Bo actually say words instead of letting their weird mind-meld convey what he meant.
“Yeah, good,” Cloud agreed, settling down on the floor and cradling his mini-me. Their surroundings were smeared and hazy, but it looked like a mix of Sephiroth’s apartment and the cafeteria. “What’s good?”
“Food. Nice men.” Baby-Bo popped his thumb into his mouth and looked at him with adoration. “Warm. S-safe. Is… good.”
“They didn’t want you to talk, did they?” Cloud asked sadly. “The scientists, I mean.”
The kid’s excitement dimmed, and Cloud almost regretted asking. No, baby-Bo conveyed, looking away and sucking anxiously on his thumb. They didn’t want me to talk. He snuck a glance. But now I can. The Nice Men don’t hurt us for talking.
“Yeah,” said Cloud, unable to think about anything but how much of a sucker he was. How could he possibly dash this tiny kid’s affection for the SOLDIERs after that? “They’re… pretty great. Right now, at least. I’ll try to keep it that way.”
I like Zack, baby-Bo opined, and that was something Cloud could genuinely grin at.
“So do I, Bo. So does everyone who’s worth a… dang.” He sighed through his nose, shifting on the floor. “I guess we took an unintentional nap, huh? Maybe we should wake up—”
“Oh my GAWD, Sephiroth has a baby!!!”
Cloud snapped awake, disoriented by the distant but exceedingly high-pitched squeal. He’d drooled on Sephiroth’s leather coat. When he raised his head, blearily looking around for the source of the noise, he realized they were inside some kind of department store. A gaggle of teenage girls was standing not too far away, openly staring with their hands over their mouths. One raised her PHS and flipped it open to start taking pictures.
“Ugh,” said Cloud, and ducked down to hide behind Sephiroth’s bulk. He’d always hated it when people took pictures of him.
“My apologies,” Sephiroth rumbled beneath him, petting the back of his head. “This happens to me whenever I leave Shinra’s facilities. I’m afraid it is impossible to prevent.”
“I’ll go chat—I mean, distract them!” Zack said, but Angeal caught him by the belt and hauled him back before he could bound away.
“Oh no you don’t, cassanova. You’re the one consulting with Sephiroth on what to get Cloud. I’ll go talk to them about appropriate public conduct.” He marched away. The girls’ infatuated giggling didn’t diminish much as he approached.
“Aw,” said Zack, scuffing his boot across the ground. “Well, let’s at least go get you some cute little shoes, buddy!”
Cloud wanted plain black shoes. Actually, he wanted some nice sturdy SOLDIER boots, but they didn’t exactly make those in toddler sizes. Sephiroth was entirely on board when Cloud pointed to the most boring black sneakers available until Zack informed him that children needed color in their toys and clothing, especially at Cloud’s age.
“Like this!” said Zack, holding up a pair of tiny light-up sneakers in atrocious colors. “He’ll be the coolest kid on the block!”
“No,” Cloud said flatly.
Zack was not deterred. “You need some fun in your life, little guy!”
“No.”
Unfortunately for him, Sephiroth looked contemplative. “Is that… important for a normal child’s development?”
“What, fun?” Zack asked, a confused smile on his face. “Of course it is! If kids aren’t allowed to have fun they get all… sick and sad.”
“We will get those shoes, then.”
NO! Cloud almost said, but the moment he thought about it he got a terrible headache. Disgusted, he gave up. He couldn’t even bring himself to scowl at Zack.
There was no point in arguing about the toys or other miscellaneous things Zack decided Sephiroth’s deep pocketbooks should pay for, either, so Cloud just let them do whatever they wanted. He spent his time eavesdropping on the many, many people Angeal had to step away and intercept.
“Did you see the alert?”
“Of course I did! I had to get here before everyone else. OMG, look at him, he’s so handsome.”
“Do you think he’s babysitting?”
“Sephiroth? Babysit? Who would be crazy enough to ask him to babysit! No way, that’s his kid.”
Several of the girls gasped.
“Do you really think so? But who’s the baby’s mother, then? And how did they keep it a secret for this long?”
“Who said he knew anything about it until now? A guy as handsome as him has to have a few ‘chances’ for a kid, y’know?”
“Maybe he was madly in love but the mom didn’t want her baby growing up with so much attention but now she’s tragically passed away and he wants the world to know he has a kid!”
“...”
“...Melissa, that’s… SO ADORABLE! He’s such a perfect guy!”
“Sweet Gaia,” Cloud muttered, too low for even Sephiroth to clearly make out. This was somehow worse than he’d ever imagined, and he was stuck right in the middle. Louder, he said, “can we leave?”
Sephiroth hummed. “The crowd is getting unreasonable. Zack, is there anything else he needs right now?”
“Huh? Oh, no, this is good for now,” said Zack, who could barely be seen behind the giant pile of items he’d picked up for Cloud. “We can go. And then you can play with all this cool stuff, baby! Aren’t you excited?”
“No,” Cloud grumped.
Zack only laughed. “Wow, he’s such a mini-you, sir!”
“Did you hear that? It IS his kid!”
Sephiroth had said earlier that he wanted Cloud integrated into the public perception as part of SOLDIER. It occurred to him now that this was, whether Sephiroth had intended or not, going well beyond becoming ‘part of SOLDIER.’ The public was going to see him as the famous Silver Elite’s son.
Dread pooled in his stomach as they purchased everything and left, trailed by not-so-subtle gaggles of spectators. Even if it was necessary to fend Hojo off, what the hell… er, heck had he gotten himself into?
And more importantly… why didn’t it seem to bother Sephiroth?
Sephiroth was pleased. Not only had they ventured out into public without Cloud attempting bodily harm on anyone, but the entire trip had been witnessed by multiple civilians. News would quickly reach the rest of Midgar, proving to the President that SOLDIER could handle Cloud.
Hojo would undoubtedly continue his attempts to steal the child, both openly and secretly. Sephiroth could protect Cloud from the open attempts and at least some of the ones using subterfuge. If Cloud learned not to let himself be drugged, then any attempts to kidnap him would go very badly for the kidnappers. Come to think of it, he didn’t know what Cloud’s resistance to common sedatives and poisons would be. It would be wise to find a way to discern that.
Cloud sullenly clung to him as they returned to the apartment, Zack chattering all the way. It was good that he liked Zack, but he needed to at least tolerate Sephiroth. His survival depended on it in many ways. Perhaps later, in private, Zack could give him more advice on how to win Cloud over other than ‘vibes.’
“I’m going to get everything set up in his room!” Zack enthused, zipping away with their many purchases. It had been on his recommendation that they get both toys and child-appropriate linens, so Sephiroth allowed it. Cloud watched him go with longing.
“You did excellent work today,” Sephiroth told his little charge, setting him down on the couch and kneeling in front of him. “It has made you safer than before.”
Cloud pursed his lips, but he didn’t scowl. That seemed promising. Perhaps he was in an agreeable enough mood to answer one of the questions that had nagged Sephiroth since lunch. He had, after all, been willing to ask Genesis a question earlier.
“Why were you surprised by the other SOLDIERs, Cloud?”
The child blinked at him. “Huh?”
“At lunch, you were surprised when First Class Elias Johannes spoke to you. You dropped your fork. Why?”
Only now did Cloud scowl at him and then wince. “SOLDIERs aren’t nice,” he bit out, and Sephiroth realized he should have added a clause to his question that would have allowed Cloud to refuse to answer. He would not forget again.
“We are not,” Sephiroth agreed. “Did you expect them to attack you? If you do not want to answer, then you need not.”
Cloud’s expression turned guarded. He didn’t speak for a long moment. “No,” he finally said. “But… why were they happy to see me? Don’t they know I’m…?”
“Ah, I see.” Sephiroth pondered his answer before giving it. “SOLDIER is very competitive. Anything that gives them a reason to gloat over another department is pleasing. As for knowing who you are, yes, they do. It seems to have endeared you to them, rather than the opposite. Perhaps you should ask them for the reasons why.” His head tilted slightly. “You were not confused by Zack’s affection for you.”
Immediately, Cloud’s expression closed off into a remarkably adult-like way. Sephiroth knew he would not be getting any explanation, but he was pleased to see that Cloud’s implicit refusal did not bring him pain. The refusal clause earlier had worked.
“Shall we go see what Zack has created for you?” Sephiroth asked. Better to let the conversation end before Cloud’s thoughts became rebellious enough to cause him pain.
Cloud nodded sharply and sprang off the couch, scampering toward the room that would now be his. Sephiroth followed at a more sedate pace and decided not to examine the warm feeling in his chest too closely. Contemplation while Cloud was active seemed a dangerous pastime.