Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Prompt: Person B holding Person A's hands when they are shaking.

They were inside the bar when it happened. Cloud was slightly hunched over, a hand on his forehead as he groaned, it seemed like static was screeching at his ears from a third perspective.

We all knew it was happening again. Tifa was the most worried out of the bunch, I mean who wouldn’t? It was mad scary havin' to see that Chocobo punk, buckle to a hiss and a hand on his head, making everyone stop whatever they were doin'. From what I can see, all of em' had some sort of certain triggers, but this time? It was purely outta nothin'.

“Ugrh… z-“ Cloud cut himself off, hunching more than his spine could curve, he was slightly shaking and a tiny teardrop settled between his eyes.

The entire crew abruptly stood, alarmed and worried. They didn’t know what to do, how to comfort or confront him, even his childhood friend, Tifa couldn’t handle him sometimes; it isn't even anyone’s business to meddle between those two. Thankfully, someone helped in present time before Tifa could. A big strong man showed up -... and that I meant Barret.

“Hey merc, u doin' okay there?” Cloud groaned deeper. The muscle man inched closer merely stopping when Cloud sharply inhaled, worried looks were exchanged among the crowd of red bandanas and Marlene.

Barret closed the distance between them once he was before a blanked-out Cloud.

“You’re shakin' like a spooked Chocobo,” Barret’s pained chuckle was caught off-guard when Cloud roughly shoved him away.

“Here lemme-" "I got ya,” Barret caught his hands, not letting go. Barret wanted to remind him of where he was, who he was, and that he had everyone's backs. He didn’t wanna deal with another lost family - or whatever his and Cloud’s relationship were.

“Hey, Cloud… you’re here, not at Shinra or some stink-ass place,” Barret reminded him.

“Barret..? What are doing he-“ he hissed, gripping his hand tighter.

“What are you? In labor? C’mon Strife, got what you need right here no need to dwell that crap,”

“I do…?”

“Uh huh, we got drinks, Gil, AVALANCHE, and my cute little Marlene here, so don’t make us wait, ex-soldier,” The glow of Cloud's eyes dimmed as recognition finally sufficed. He looked around, his cheeks were slightly flushing with a good interesting shade of pink.

“Whatever,”

“Aaaaaand the Chocobutt is back,” “Don’t worry your little blonde head over nothin', drinks on me!” Everyone whooped of course. Tifa and Marlene ushered beside the two as the red bandana'd trio did their usual support.

“I’m fine,” Cloud said to himself, Barret's hands were still intertwined with Cloud’s but he never let go, once the shakiness was somewhat gone, Barret shook his hand before carefully removing it to pat his back. Everyone cheered to hurry up for the promised free drinks, right on to giving Cloud their fullest attention.

Barret doesn’t mind it if he holds Cloud’s hands, he sure as hell doesn’t trust him most of the time but it’s starting to be worth a try. He wouldn’t want this to be his last hand-holding, at least.

Chapter Text

Cloud, as many folks believed, didn't seem that eager to celebrate birthdays… much like his own. At anyone's birthday, he'd simply greet them, give some sort of souvenir from one of his expeditions, linger if forced to or leave when he's done.

Today is August 10, they all knew what would happen tomorrow. His birthday, even mere a mention of his upcoming birthday awards them a stiff, need for escape, awkward blond who'd most likely brush it off and hide for the remainder of the day.. Well, avalanche and all will have none of that shit today.

---

Tifa knows Cloud has a habit of cowering behind any drawn attention towards him, she knows why and she understands why yet.. it's his birthday, and Clouds done so much for Seventh Heaven that's certainly why she won't tolerate the fact his celebration would just be shrugged off, per Cloud's request.

So she plans a birthday surprise..

Inside the Bar, the lights were dimmed, awaiting its call, the jukebox was humming on a low tune, drinks were plastered by the tables as well as meals she'd know a certain someone would appreciate and to top it all off decorations hanged and hugged the entire room, courtesy of avalanche and friends whom were awaiting with party poppers and cheers.

Birthday planner, Tifa was outside trying to lead Cloud to his demise with her casually laughing off some sort of suspicion he inherited.

"Why does Marlene have to do with me?" He queued, fighting off the tremendous force of tifa pushing him to the doors of her bar. A prior earlier after Cloud's once over at the junkyard, Tifa asked the ex-Soldier to come by the bar once he's done, Marlene apparently needed his help.

"Hmm, she asked if you could y'know…" she laughs still trying to push Cloud to the door's surface.

"Tifa..," Cloud sighed. He, who was within 1 inch from the door, was slightly hopeful that someone remembered his birthday, someone like Tifa who would actually remember. However, a slight trembling feeling tells him that he's not an inch like the distance he has would ever be, worthy of such a celebration - no one needs to get out of their way when they could just do nothing and forget about it, little did he know, how wrong he was.

"I know, Cloud but Marlene did look like she wants something from you…. ," she gulped, looking between the door and Cloud.

"That the reason you closed up early?" He mumbled along with "must've been important,"

"Let's just go in and find out.." Tifa assured, placing a hand on his back while slowly opening the door.

…

"SURPRISE!!" Everyone yelled, splashing Confetti And rumbling crackers. Cloud was so glad he almost cried, but he wouldn't allow that. Not at all. He just opens his mouth in exasperated surprise, silently waiting for Tifa to close it for comedic effect...

• • • Cloud's Savior
It wasn't too long within a few seconds of the party till they'd notice Cloud being characteristically uncomfortable and you'll know it as soon as you look at where he is. Oh you'll know, alright.

His spikey blond ass was found by a table full of red bandanas, Jessie, Biggs, and Wedge all clapping their hands by his back, cheering like papa behemoth's glorious aftershave in the morning or some sort of metaphot to be used... Cloud was all tense, as opposed to his fluffy name, he looked flushed, looking at the door like all of Midgar depended on it and ofc his very signature plain silence. Not even sparing a glance at his captors, the three red-headed street fighter characters. Barret's gotta pity for this man, poor Chocobo indeed.

Barret, as daddy as he could be, walks up and calls out for the birthday boy, earning an annoyed glare, Barrett laughs it off and slightly points his head on an empty table, he definitely knows Cloud would get the message. He carefully slips off the conversing birthday-boy kidnappers as Barret hums in satisfaction.

"Got yo ass stuck between those three didn't cha?" He smirked, slowly sitting down and grabbing a slice of pizza from the table.

" Can Finally breathe now, thanks I guess," Cloud follows suit, leaning to slightly cover his flushed, probably embarrassed face.

"Damn, you that desperate?"

"To leave this place? Yeah,"

"Hey.. Marlene and the others worked their butts off for this, you better 'preciate it" Barret argues, grabbing another slice. Cloud does too.. and sighs.

"...it's okay then, though I doubt you did anything…," Cloud lonely chuckled, but before any more conversation erupts from Barret's unusually socialistic behavior, his daughter jumps in.

"Daddy..?" Marlene tugs at his jacket. She pouts her lips when Barret finally looks at her and says:

"Here," she hands his dad a yellow paper flower as Barret passes it to Cloud and before he can react Marlene is already out of his sight and onto hugging the bartender/Tifa's feet.

"Hm, looks like the flower you gave her at yo first gig.." Barret remarked with a smirk, licking the existent pizza sauce from his lips.

"Looks like you did something for my birthday after all," his unusual smile appealed to the paper flower… sliding his thumb over the evident wrinkles, the obvious color-pencil skims across its assigned areas: yellow and green.

He liked it.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CLOUD

Chapter Text

Prompt: Them accidentally (or purposefully) dozing off in a hammock together as the sun sets and the air cools down.

"C'mon, Cloud!" Aerith hurries by the fruitful garden of her house. It's been a while since she's tidied up the place, they — she and her handsome bodyguard, Cloud — just finished a pile of requests from the citizens of sector 5, therefore a small break is deserved for these two fashionably hard workers! Which now results in both of them climbing to Aerith's second flower bed uphill, where she promised a sacred ‘cool’ spot to show Cloud.

"This… doesn't fit me,'' Cloud hesitates as Aerith finally shows him her handmade hammock. It was nearly tied up by two slim trees, and a pink long hammock (probably her bed covers) displayed for them and singing flowers to see.

"Oh don't be so silly, it's big enough for the two of us so get in so scooch over, a lady needs her sleep," she grumped playfully, pointing at the very abomination of a pink, frilly flower-patterned hammock. Cloud was absolutely gobsmacked to hear Aerith expect the both of them to fit in that slim absurdity.

"You could just sleep inside… I'll sleep here,"

"No can do, cloud.” She shook her head.
“We need a bonding moment after all that work! And the hammock isn't that bad, right? It just needs two people to sleep in for double the energy charge booster" she smiled, dragging the poor blond to her fluffy thin, pink hammock disaster.

"Energy…charge booster? Where the hell did you get that from?"

"It's a secret called creativity, Cloud"
"Pretty cool, right?" To Cloud's uneventful sigh, they both dive in the hammock (and the usual hesitance from Cloud's Hammock diving). They now both lay at the thin quivering hammock, cinched over each other idly hearing the shingles by Aerith's house, the warm breaths, and the splashes of water from the waterfall. It surely bought Cloud peace for once. It's been weeks since he last rested willingly, with no following objective to worry about every so often, it's all nice being at sector 7 and all but… it's too much of a cycle. The polluted air must have gotten to him or something.

"..."

"How's the view from here," Aerith broke tension with her internal weapon called 'talking'. Cloud was now hunched over, both hands on his sides, tensed as usual. Since the hammock was pretty far up a hill, Cloud could see everything except for Aerith;

“Well, I can't see anything from here since I'm practically staring at a hunk’s back” She continued cheekily, her breath grazing over Cloud’s neck which sent absolute shivers in his back. Alrighty… might as well face the sky, I rather not die from this. And in a whiff, Cloud abruptly turned to the sky above them, causing Aerith to startle “H-Hey! Easy there!”

"My bad" he averted his eyes.
"Be careful though, we might fall," He continued the tense dialogue.

"You really gonna say that to a soldier candidate? Me? Puh-lease," Aerith did not take 'no shit' from such a whine. “How about you Tell that to yourself instead, Mr. Clumsy”

"Whatever," Aerith's giggle vibrated along her chest to Blondie's head.

"Okay… C'mon rest now, I need beauty sleep for my date Tonight!" Aerith tucked herself beside Cloud's shoulder, earning her a characteristic eye roll.

"Date?"

"With a certain bodyguard of course!" And a little follow-up mumble from Cloud that went along the lines of "You've got to be kidding me…,'

"You see, I'm going to have to send him off to his lonely and sad sad journey alllllll aloneeee…,"
“It’s such a shame if he didn’t wave me goodbye, yknow?” Aerith fake wondered, her finger tapping the edge of her chin — it's surprising her whole arm could move when an uncompromising position is just here to block any more movement. Aerith, as her usual self, is a mystery.

"You can still come to sector 7…"

"I could,"

"Yeah…"

"All the more reason to sleep in this cool air and watch over the steel sky, right?"

"Let sleep then,"

… a few minutes or maybe hours have passed, honestly he isn't exactly sure but He’s awake; the still closed eyes wander along dark pools of his eyelids, the smell of acid, air, and the blooming, roaring smell of Aerith’s fragrance — that is one of the absolute best sleep he's gotten of the year, it's surprising how he can actually manage that.

“Are you still asleep there bud?” Aerith softly whispers, hoping this already awakened blond is still in deep comfortable slumber.

“Well, It not like it matters whether or not you hear me,” She softly laughed.
“It’s really nice to have a hammock here, I wish hammocks were everywhere, and I might actually need a hammock to carry me back home, over a beach preferably, I promise, I…”

“I..I'll come back when it's all over” Aerith's hand brushes through the tall flowers below them, the distinct language of the flowers echoes whispers through the night.

Cloud stills, static courses through his head, a rush, a wave of emotion-y teary mess. Aerith doesn't seem to take notice, heck she doesn't seem to notice Cloud has woken up, yet she goes in for the kill either way. A hug.