Disclaiming is fun...
My Son?
"This is so stupid," Cloud grumbled as he buckled his nine month old nephew into his car seat, "Ever since I got my license, all I've done is run errands for everyone else and tote you around."
The child looked up at his uncle with large green eyes before flailing his arms and giggling loudly.
Cloud just rolled his eyes. "Of course you would like that, you goofy looking onion knight," Cloud said, referring to how the kid had a round bald head save for a single tuft of blond hair that stood up completely straight from the dead centre of his head.
Finally satisfied with how his nephew was fastened into the car seat, Cloud closed the door and walked along side the blue station wagon, glaring at the faux wood paneling that ran along the doors. What an ugly hunk of metal this was. He definitely needed to get his own wheels and soon. As he got into the drivers seat and turned the key, he was pissed off when the car actually started smoothly the first time. Pulling out of the driveway, Cloud began to drive down the road, mumbling on about how someday he would own a motorcycle that wouldn't be able to hold more than one person on it.
He continued to gripe on under his breath for another few blocks before coming to a stop at a red light. A quick check back let him notice that his nephew had fallen fast asleep. When the light turned green, he proceeded into the intersection. Halfway through his left hand turn, Cloud noticed an odd sputtering that he could feel through the steering wheel. Suddenly, there was nothing. No lights, no sounds, no movement, no anything.
Hitting the steering wheel in frustration, Cloud growled at the car, "You stupid piece of junk! I wanted you to not start in the driveway, not stall in the middle of an intersection."
Looking out the window, Cloud was horrified when he saw the light turn back to red and oncoming traffic heading straight towards him. So many thoughts went through his head at the moment. 'Oh my gods. I'm going to die. My nephew is going to die. Aerith will be heartbroken. Zack will kill me. I'm dead either way.' Gripping the steering wheel for dear life, Cloud was paralyzed with fear as he watched a car swerve to avoid hitting him head on. A horn sounded, breaking him out of his fear, and Cloud saw another driver shaking his first at the idiot who had almost hit him. That brought him back to his senses, and he instantly began trying to restart the car.
It took several tries, but eventually, it did start again. Still nervous, Cloud was able to get the car into the closest parking lot. Sitting there for a moment, Cloud just tried to catch his breath. The whole ordeal had left him shaken. Turning around, he could only be glad that his nephew had remained asleep for the entire thing.
Not trusting the car anymore, Cloud took out his cell phone to call his uncle's garage.
.
.
"Thanks for coming to get us, Uncle Cid," Cloud said, holding his nephew on his hip, bouncing him up and down.
"Well, it got me outta doing some actual fu-" Cid was stopped mid curse by a glare from Cloud as he nodded down to the impressionable infant in his arms, "fu…fun work?" Cid said, scratching the back of his neck, chewing on a toothpick.
"So tell me, how much would it cost for you to tell Mom that the hunk of junk is completely dead?" Cloud asked, hearing an air chuckle coming from over at the desk. Looking over, Cloud saw his classmate Squall standing behind the counter.
"Shut up and go find something productive to do you little shi…" Not wanting to be glared at again, Cid rethought his words, "You pimple faced grease monkey."
Squall just rolled his eyes. "Whatever," he said, focusing his gaze back on the grease stained keyboard in front of him.
"Don't worry kid, I'll have her good as new before you know it," Cid smirked, clapping his nephew on the back.
"Do you take some sort of pleasure in torturing me or something?" Cloud glared.
Cid's smile just widened. "You bet your ass I do. Hey, grease monkey!"
Rolling his eyes at the hated term, Squall looked back up at his boss, one eyebrow rose as if saying 'what?'
"I need you to take Cloud and my great nephew here home," Cid gave the blond hair on the infant's head a ruffle.
Nodding, Squall grabbed the keys to what he had dubbed the gopher mobile, glaring when he heard Cloud let out a breath chuckle.
"Hold on, let me just grab the little guy's car seat and Bobo," Cloud said, shifting his nephew in his arms.
"Bobo?" Squall asked with a confused tone.
"Bobo!" The child grinned, waving his pudgy little arms around wildly when he heard the name of his favorite stuffed chocobo.
"Got'er right here, Kid," Cid grinned, hoisting the seat and toy up from behind the counter, handing the toy out for the boy to grab. He squealed with joy before taking it into his arms, "Heh, he likes chocobos as much as you did when you were a baby, Cloud. Must be hereditary."
Cloud rolled his eyes before watching Squall pick up the car seat, carrying it over to the gopher mobile. Looking at the backseat, then to the plastic contraption in his hand, Squall then looked over at Cloud, a slight look of confusion on his face, "Uh, how does this thing work?"
Rolling his eyes again, Cloud just sighed, "Here, take him for a minute, but hold on tight. He likes to wiggle." Handing the child over to a wide eyed Squall, Cloud couldn't help but smirk at how uncomfortable Squall seemed to be. Making sure that the brunet wouldn't drop the child despite the odd hold, Cloud then picked up the car seat, inserting it properly with ease in no time flat.
This time it was Squall's turn to raise an eyebrow as Cloud took the infant back, before placing him into the car seat and buckling him in securely. Without any other words, the two sixteen year olds got into the car and drove off in the direction of Cloud's house.
With the exception of the few words required to tell Squall the directions needed to get to his house, the car ride was silent but for the coos and giggles coming from the backseat as the small boy continued to play with his Bobo.
"So, uh…I didn't know you had a kid," Squall said, breaking the silence. Cloud just gave him a weird look with a raise eyebrow. "Sorry. I suppose that was a bit personal."
"We're in the same class," Cloud said, slightly confused.
"Okay…" Squall trailed off. Like that made any difference.
"I'm openly gay," Cloud added.
"…" Squall didn't respond, instead he just let silence fall back over them.
Sighing, Cloud knew the brunet wasn't going to get it unless he spelled it right out. "He's my older sister's son. I'm just babysitting for her."
"I guess that makes a little more sense," Squall said, trying to hide his embarrassment by becoming silent again. Though now it had gotten slightly awkward. He felt like a complete idiot. Trying to find something to ease the tension, Squall said the first thing that came to his mind, "I'm gay too."
Rolling his eyes, Cloud just wanted the car ride to be over, "I know. I've seen you making out with that asshole Seifer all over school."
Squall let out a light chuckle, "Yeah, he can be a bit of an asshole.'
"Then why are you with him?" Cloud asked, looking back to see that his nephew had fallen asleep once more.
Squall just shrugged, unsure how to answer that question.
"It's the sex, isn't it?" Cloud asked, completely straight faced and in a monotone voice.
Squall recognized the joke for what it was however. He let out a breathy chuckle. "Whatever," he said. Pulling up to what he was told was Cloud's house, Cloud thanked him for the ride. Getting out of the car and going to the back seat to gather his nephew and his things, Squall continued, "Hey, Cloud?"
"Yeah?" Cloud replied, pulling the child into his arms, tossing the car seat onto the lawn.
"Do you want to hang out sometime?"
Smirking, Cloud looked over at the brunet, "Whatever," he said, turning and walking into the house without another word.
Feeling the corner of his own mouth turn upwards in a small smile, Squall chuckled once more before driving back towards the garage and his crappy excuse for a part time job.
Cid has really crappy grammer.
If you like this story please check out some of our other stories from our Family Tree Universe in our archives :) And as always, if you would like to see where the pairings and family lines came from please go view our deviant art page, http :/ crymsonpahoyhoy . deviantart . com /, minus all of the spaces ;) The deviations are called FF KH Family Tree.
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