A/N: A purely self-indulgent drabble inspired by hearing Cloud's Japanese voice actor singing Lalalu from Lady and the Tramp. The image of Cloud singing it to Marlene popped into my head, and voila! This ficlet was born.
"Cloud?" the voice calling out to him was small.
Cloud stopped on his way to his room and turned his head to look. Through the open doorway of the children's bedroom, he could see Marlene, sitting up in bed. Faint white moonlight from the bedroom window illuminated her anxious face.
He hesitated for a fraction of a second. Cloud had never been very good with people, especially troubled ones, and this social awkwardness extended to children. Whatever it was Marlene was worried about, there was a high possibility that he would only make it worse.
But Cloud couldn't just walk away. Marlene had already called to him. Cloud made his way into the room, careful not to disturb Denzel, who was asleep in the bed less than an arm's length away.
Cloud crouched down at the little girl's bedside. "What is it, Marlene?"
Marlene ducked her head. Her hands twisted nervously in the bed sheets. "I can't sleep. I'm… worried about Denzel."
She glanced in the direction of Denzel's bed, and Cloud followed her gaze. The boy lay on his back, the blankets Tifa had piled on him earlier gently rising and falling with every breath. Even in sleep, his face looked pained.
Cloud turned back to Marlene. "He's been in a lot of pain?"
Marlene nodded. "Nothing seems to make him feel better. Tifa gives him aspirin, but it doesn't work. And I clean the Geostigma on his forehead, like Tifa showed me, but it only hurts him even more. I wish there was something I could do to make Denzel feel better, but…I can't."
She felt powerless. Cloud knew the feeling all too well. Though his feelings of powerlessness had come from watching two dear friends die before his eyes, and not being able to do a thing to help. Though, with Denzel's condition only worsening...his sense of helplessness and hers might be one and the same.
Marlene's voice cut into Cloud's thoughts. "Cloud… is Denzel going to die?"
The question was jarring in its coincidence. Cloud stared at her for a moment, surprised, before looking away when he realized he had no idea how to respond. It was true that Denzel's condition was getting worse by the day. And Geostigma did not have a high survival rate, besides…
But these were not things to tell an already distressed eight year old at ten thirty at night. Cloud wished Tifa were here; she always knew just what to say and how to say it. But it was a Saturday night, and downstairs Tifa had her hands full with a packed bar. Cloud was on his own.
He turned back to Marlene, and looked into those big brown eyes filled with so much worry. He placed a hand on her back and gently rubbed, like he had seen Tifa do many times before.
As gently as he could manage, "I don't know, Marlene. No one does. All we can do for Denzel is our best, and leave the rest up to fate.
"But," he added, "Denzel is strong-willed. He fights the Geostigma with courage. There is still hope." Even if it is slim.
Marlene watched him for a moment, her face impassive. Cloud felt like fidgeting under her unnervingly intent gaze. She was such a perceptive child; for a moment Cloud worried she had seen right through his bungled attempt at comfort. But slowly, she nodded. A small smile appeared on her face. "Okay, Cloud. I won't give up hope."
Cloud released the breath he didn't realize he had been holding. He nodded, and stood. "You should be getting to sleep now, Marlene."
Marlene's peaceful expression faded instantly. "I can't!"
Cloud started at her sudden distress. "Why not?"
"I still can't fall asleep!"
"Try counting sheep, then."
"I tried, but it didn't work!"
Cloud fought down the urge to heave a long, tired sigh. It had been a long week, journeying all the way to Mideel and back on an express delivery. To make matters worse, he had a bad run-in with Monsters along the way. All he wanted to do was to fall into bed and sleep for a few hours…
Instead, he raked a hand through his hair and kept his tone even and patient. "Well, what does Tifa do when you can't sleep?"
"She sings."
He briefly closed his eyes. Creator preserve us. "If I sing for you, can you fall asleep?"
"I think so."
"All right, then. Lie down and close your eyes."
Marlene did as she was told. Cloud drew the warm quilt up to her chin, tucked it snugly around her, and sank down on the edge of the bed. He sighed in relief as the weight was taken off his tired legs and sore feet.
Watching the moonlight filtering in through the window, Cloud found himself humming a tune from one of the children's films Tifa frequently put on for Marlene and Denzel. Cloud had never paid much attention to the films, but that hadn't stopped the songs from worming their way into his subconscious.
The tune was slow and gentle, a good enough lullaby. Cloud felt himself relaxing a little just humming it…
He didn't realize he had started to doze off until Marlene piped up, "That's not singing."
Cloud looked down. Marlene was watching him with one eye cracked open. He raised an unamused eyebrow. She smiled innocently back at him. Cloud gave in with a sigh. Children and their stubbornness…
It turned out that Cloud knew more of the song than he thought. He sang softly, occasionally glancing at Marlene for any sign of drowsiness. As he sang, the little girl snuggled down beneath the blankets, a soft smile on her cherub's face. It didn't take long for her to fall asleep after that. By the time Cloud had squeezed out the last note of the song, Marlene's breathing had fallen into a deep, steady rhythm.
Cloud carefully got to his feet and made for the door. He glanced at Denzel as he passed, and was relieved to see that the boy hadn't been disturbed. On the contrary. The look of pain on his face had dissipated, and he looked more peaceful now.
With a tired but strangely contented sigh, Cloud trudged down the hall to his room-and bed-without any further interruption.
He did, however, hear that damned song in his dreams.
fin